Does left ventricular contractile reserve assessed by dobutamine stress Doppler hemodynamics predict surgical outcomes in patients with low-gradient aortic stenosis?
Dobutamine stress Doppler hemodynamics should be factored into the risk-benefit analysis for surgery in patients with low-gradient aortic stenosis to assess left ventricular contractile reserve.
In the setting of low-gradient aortic stenosis, surgery seems beneficial for most of the patients with left ventricular contractile reserve. In contrast, the postoperative outcome of patients without reserve is compromised by a high operative mortality. Thus, dobutamine stress Doppler hemodynamics may be factored into the risk-benefit analysis for each patient.
Monin et al. (2003) studied this question.