Increased left ventricular diastolic chamber stiffness immediately after coronary artery bypass surgery

• Published in: Journal of the American College of Cardiology Vol. 24; no. 5; pp. 1189 - 1194
• Main Authors: McKenney, Patrice A., Apstein, Carl S., Mendes, Lisa A., Connelly, Gilbert P., Aldea, Gabriel S., Shemin, Richard J., Davidoff, Ravin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.11.1994
• Subjects: Aged; Coronary Artery Bypass; Diastole - physiology; Echocardiography, Transesophageal; Female; Humans; Incidence; Male; Monitoring, Physiologic - methods; Postoperative Complications - diagnosis; Postoperative Complications - epidemiology; Postoperative Complications - physiopathology; Postoperative Period; Pulmonary Wedge Pressure - physiology; Stroke Volume - physiology; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - diagnosis; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - epidemiology; Ventricular Dysfunction, Left - physiopathology; Ventricular Function, Left - physiology
• ISSN: 0735-1097; 1558-3597
• DOI: 10.1016/0735-1097(94)90097-3

Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence and severity of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction immediately after coronary artery bypass surgery by utilizing simultaneous transesophageal echocardiographic and hemodynamic monitoring. Background. Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction has been documented after coronary bypass surgery, but its measurement has been technically difficult to acquire and limited by dependence on loading conditions. Methods. End-diastolic pressure-area curves were constructed before and immediately after coronary bypass surgery in 20 patients. Transesophageal echocardiographic images at the mid-papillary level of the left ventricle and hemodynamic data were recorded. Volume status was manipulated to alter loading conditions, and muitiple measurements were taken at each loading condition. Results. Diastolic function worsened in all patients, as manifested by a postoperative leftward shift of the end-diastolic pressure-area curve. At a comparable preload, mean end-diastolic area ± SEM decreased by 15% from 17.6 ± 0.8 to 14.9 ± 0.8 cm2postoperatively (p = 0.0001). Conclusions. Left ventricular diastolic chamber stiffness frequently increases immediately after coronary artery bypass surgery. Simultaneous hemodynamic and transesophageal echocardiographic monitoring, through the construction of end-diastolic pressure-area curves, is a useful method to evaluate diastolic function and guide management after cardiac surgery.