Key result
Conscious echo yields ~0.9 mm smaller LVOT diameter measurements vs. anesthetized assessment in sheep.
Why the study?
Preclinical animal studies commonly use one valve size for prosthetic aortic valve implantation, which can complicate implantation and valve function assessment, motivating development of a preoperative screening assessment.
Does conscious echocardiography accurately assess LVOT dimensions compared to anesthetized echocardiography in sheep prior to prosthetic aortic valve implantation?
Observational (n=53)
Does conscious echocardiography accurately assess LVOT dimensions compared to anesthetized echocardiography in sheep prior to prosthetic aortic valve implantation?
Mean Difference: -0.87 (95% CI -0.4796–-0.26378)
p-value: p=0.0066
Conscious echocardiography can reliably assess LVOT dimensions in sheep preoperatively, aiding in the selection of appropriate prosthetic valve sizes and minimizing prosthetic-native annular mismatching without the need for anesthesia.
Preoperative sizing may ease implantation and function assessment in animal valve studies; leaves open translation to standardized preclinical protocols.
OBJECTIVE: Prosthetic heart valve implantation is commonly performed in patients that have valvular heart disease. Prior to clinical evaluation of newly developed prostheses, preclinical animal studies are performed for the assessment of both acute and chronic valvular function. Commonly, one size of valve is used in these preclinical studies, which can present difficulties with the implantation procedure and assessing valve function. Due to these potential problems, we developed a preoperative screening assessment in potential ovine candidates for prosthetic aortic valve implantation. By determining if there is a correlation between conscious and anesthetized echocardiographic examinations, an improvement in surgical confidence can predict that the animal is deemed a suitable candidate for a particular size of prosthetic valve for implantation prior to subjecting the animal to anesthesia and surgery. METHODS: A total of 53 crossbred sheep (Ovis aries), male and female, 10-37 months of age, weighing between 41 and 77 kg, underwent conscious echocardiography and a subset of 29 of these animals underwent echocardiographic assessment under anesthesia for a preoperative valve size comparison in these animals prior to surgical prosthetic aortic valve implantation. Using 2D echocardiographic assessment, left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) dimensions were assessed. RESULTS: The mean paired difference between anesthetized and conscious LVOT diameter measurement was -0.87 mm (p = 0.0066, standard deviation 1.598, 95% confidence interval, -0.4796, -0.26378, n = 29). CONCLUSION: This pilot study evaluation revealed that conscious echocardiographic assessment can play a role preoperatively in selecting potential candidates for surgical prosthetic aortic valve implantation, thereby minimizing the potential in prosthetic-native annular mismatching, which can contribute to altered LVOT function.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Barka et al. (2015) conducted an observational in Preclinical evaluation for prosthetic aortic valve implantation (n=53). Conscious echocardiography vs. Anesthetized echocardiography was evaluated on Left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) diameter (MD -0.87 mm, 95% CI -0.4796 to -0.26378, p=0.0066). Conscious echocardiographic assessment of LVOT diameter in sheep showed a mean paired difference of -0.87 mm compared to anesthetized assessment (95% CI -0.4796 to -0.26378; P=0.0066).
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: