Key result
3D strain echocardiography reveals ~3-point lower LV-GLS after VSD repair compared to healthy controls.
Why the study?
Three-dimensional strain echocardiography is a novel and sensitive method adapting AI for assessing ventricular function, but its utility and accuracy in children after surgical VSD repair remained to be tested.
Does three-dimensional strain echocardiography detect subclinical global and regional left ventricular dysfunction in children after successful surgical ventricular septal defect repair compared to healthy age- and sex-matched controls?
Case-Control (n=40)
Single-blind (investigators blinded to patient group status during offline analysis)
No
Does three-dimensional strain echocardiography detect subclinical global and regional left ventricular dysfunction in children after successful surgical ventricular septal defect repair compared to healthy age- and sex-matched controls?
3D strain echocardiography is a fast, reproducible, and sensitive tool capable of detecting subclinical regional myocardial dysfunction localized to the patched septum in asymptomatic children after successful VSD repair who otherwise exhibit normal standard 2D echocardiograms.
3D strain may detect subclinical post-VSD dysfunction; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
Background: Ventricular septal defect (VSD) has a good prognosis after surgical treatment. Three-dimensional (3D) strain echocardiography is a novel and sensitive method adapting AI for assessing ventricular function; however, its utility remains to be tested. The aim of the study was to assess accuracy of 3D strain echocardiography based on specific population of patients. Methods: The study enrolled children after successful surgical VSD treatment. In all patients, 3D-echocardiography was performed to assess left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and global and segmental longitudinal (LS), circumferential (CS), and radial strain (RS) values. The results were compared with those of healthy individuals matched for age and sex. Results: The study group consisted of 20 children (12 males) aged 3-17 years (mean 7.0±4.3 years), with normal ventricular function in routine 2D echocardiography. The global strain values in all patients were within literature norms for sex and age. Statistically significant differences between study and control group were observed in terms of LVEF (55.6±6.9% vs 59.3±4.8%, p=0.046), global LS (-21.4±4.3 vs -24.8±3.5, p=0.010), and RS (38.7±6.1% vs 43.6±5.0%, p=0.010). Segmental strain values showed dysfunction limited to the patched septal area. Conclusions: 3D strain echocardiography is a sensitive AI tool for the detection of regional subclinical cardiac function impairment in children after successful surgical treatment of VSD. 3D strain’s accuracy may be further used in pediatric cardiology.
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Kamińska et al. (2026) conducted a case-control in Ventricular septal defect (post-surgical repair) (n=40). Surgical ventricular septal defect (VSD) repair assessed via 3D strain echocardiography vs. Healthy age- and sex-matched controls was evaluated on Global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS, %) (p=0.010). 3D strain echocardiography detected significantly reduced global longitudinal strain (-21.4% vs -24.8%, p=0.010) and radial strain (38.7% vs 43.6%, p=0.010) after VSD repair compared to controls.
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