Ravi Rasalingam

Transthoracic Echocardiographic Assessment of Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Devices

An increasing number of patients are implanted with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices (LVAD) for the treatment of severe congestive heart failure. In parallel with this growing experience has been an increase in knowledge of how these devices alter cardiac physiology and the important implications this has for cardiac function. Echocardiography offers the ability to provide serial noninvasive evaluation before and after LVAD implantation to document these changes, guide management decisions, and identify LVAD dysfunction. The authors detail a comprehensive assessment of LVAD function by transthoracic echocardiography.

IMPROVED RIGHT VENTRICULAR MYOCARDIAL PERFORMANCE DESPITE REDUCED LONGITUDINAL DEFORMATION AFTER LEFT VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICE IMPLANTATION IN PATIENTS WITH SEVERE HEART FAILURE

Methods: Echocardiography was performed in 29 consecutive patients both before and within 12 months after implantation of LVAD in patients with severe heart failure. Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and annular systolic velocity (RV TDI Sa) were measured to assess RV longitudinal deformation. These were compared to RV MPI a Doppler based calculation in which lower values signify increased ventricular efficiency.