Perioperative Hemodynamics in Patients Undergoing Partial Left Ventriculectomy

OBJECTIVES: Effects of partial left ventriculectomy (PLV) were studied by analyzing perioperative hemodynamics with measurements of left ventricular (LV) pressure-volume (PV) relationships and thermodilution catheter measurements in the pulmonary artery. METHODS: Between July and October 1996, 43 consecutive patients underwent PLV with and without mitral valvuloplasty with a thermodilution catheter and PV loop analysis immediately before and after surgery. Patients were 52+/-13 years and 67+/-13 kg, with reduced functional capacity (New York Heart Association 3.3+/-0.3) due to cardiomyopathy (24), ischemic disease (13), valvular disease (3), and Chagas' disease (3). RESULTS: PLV required cardiopulmonary bypass for 44+/-24 minutes, with the heart arrested in 10 patients for 26+/-22 minutes for coronary artery bypass grafting (8), aortic valve replacement (2), and autotransplantation (2). Two patients failed to come off bypass, six died in the hospital and 35 (35 81.4% of 43) were discharged. Changes in PV loops included decreased end-diastolic and end-systolic volume, resulting in no change in stroke volume. Pulmonary artery wedge pressure decreased despite elevated end-diastolic pressure. Ejection fraction, end-systolic elastance (E-max), afterload recruitable stroke work, and volume intercepts all improved and resulted in similar stroke work with less energy expenditure (less PV area), thus improving myocardial energetic efficiency. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that PLV improves systolic function but decreases diastolic compliance, which results in reduced net ventricular function immediately after surgery. Thus, immediate hemodynamic improvements appeared to derive from reduced severity in mitral regurgitation and perioperative load manipulation. Improved myocardial energetics may ameliorate LV function and improve the course of underlying myocardial disease.