Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Jul 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialEvaluation of right ventricular systolic function after mitral valve repair: a two-dimensional Doppler, speckle-tracking, and three-dimensional echocardiographic study.
Conventional indices of right ventricular (RV) function are known to be reduced after cardiac surgery, as a consequence of geometric rather than functional alterations. New techniques, such as three-dimensional (3D) transthoracic and two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography, may be useful in postsurgical RV assessment. The aim of this study was to compare indices of RV function obtained using different echocardiographic modalities, before and after surgery. ⋯ Although 3D ejection fraction was preserved after surgery, in agreement with the lack of evidence of RV dysfunction, two-dimensional indices showed a functional loss in the longitudinal direction. Fractional area change, as a combination of radial and longitudinal properties, was slightly decreased. Speckle-tracking echocardiography could constitute a useful approach to relate local and space-dependent changes to the global RV function.