Pericardiotomy during acute pulmonary artery constriction increased left ventricular stroke volume by 35% in anesthetized dogs.
Does pericardiotomy improve left ventricular function during acute pulmonary hypertension in anesthetized dogs?
Pericardiotomy improves left ventricular stroke volume during acute pulmonary hypertension by relieving external constraint to LV filling.
During acute pulmonary hypertension, both the pericardium and the right ventricle (RV) constrain left ventricular (LV) filling; therefore, pericardiotomy should improve LV function. LV, RV, and pericardial pressures and RV and LV dimensions and LV stroke volume (SV) were measured in six anesthetized dogs. The pericardium was closed, the chest was left open, and the lungs were held away from the heart. Data were collected at baseline, during pulmonary artery constriction (PAC), and after pericardiotomy with PAC maintained. PAC decreased SV by one-half. RV diameter increased, and septum-to-LV free wall diameter and LV area (our index of LV end-diastolic volume) decreased. Compared with during PAC, pericardiotomy increased LV area and SV increased 35%. LV and RV compliance (pressure-dimension relations) and LV contractility (stroke work-LV area relations) were unchanged. Although series interaction accounts for much of the decreased cardiac output during acute pulmonary hypertension, pericardial constraint and leftward septal shift are also important. Pericardiotomy can improve LV function in the absence of other sources of external constraint to LV filling.
Belenkie et al. (Fri,) conducted a other in Acute pulmonary hypertension (n=6). Pericardiotomy vs. Pulmonary artery constriction with closed pericardium was evaluated on Left ventricular stroke volume. Pericardiotomy during acute pulmonary artery constriction increased left ventricular stroke volume by 35% in anesthetized dogs.