Echocardiographic predictors of left ventricular dysfunction after aortic valve surgery in children with chronic aortic regurgitation.

Objective: Postoperative left ventricular dysfunction is associated with poor prognosis in adults with severe chronic aortic regurgitation and published practice guidelines aim to minimize this risk. However, only limited information exists in pediatrics. The goal of this study was to define preoperative risk factors for postoperative left ventricular dysfunction in children with chronic aortic regurgitation.