Left Ventricular Diastolic Function After Aortic Valve Replacement for Chronic Aortic Regurgitation

Ma and colleagues evaluated left ventricular diastolic function in 183 patients who had undergone isolated aortic valve replacement for severe aortic regurgitation. Echocardiographic data was used to evaluate the relationship between preoperative diastolic function and postoperative mortality and cardiac function. Serial echocardiographic data from a subgroup of 104 patients was used to further evaluate postoperative changes in diastolic function. The authors found that 43% of patients had an improved New York Heart Association functional class at long-term follow-up. Preoperative left ventricular end-diastolic volume index was the only predictor of reduced long-term diastolic functional recovery, emphasizing the importance of appropriately-timed surgical intervention.