Intraoperative assessment of mitral regurgitation: role of phenylephrine challenge.

Objectives: We defined the effects of the operative (OP) state and phenylephrine challenge on the assessment of mitral regurgitation (MR) severity.

Methods: In all, 57 patients underwent transesophageal echocardiographic assessment of MR severity pre-OP (PREOP) and intra-OP. MR severity was assessed PREOP under conscious sedation and intra-OP with general anesthesia, before and after hemodynamic manipulation with vasoactive agents, to match intra-OP and PREOP transesophageal echocardiographic mean arterial blood pressures.