Postoperative changes in left ventricular systolic function after combined mitral and aortic valve replacement in patients with rheumatic heart disease

Backgrounds We sought to identify short- and long-term changes in postoperative left ventricular systolic function in patients with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) who underwent combined aortic and mitral valve replacement. Methods We analyzed 146 patients according to their preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (113 with preoperative LVEF >= 50% and 33 with preoperative LVEF <50%). A restricted cubic spline model was used to assess the effect of time on the postoperative changes in echocardiographic parameters. Results There were no significant difference in preoperative and immediately postoperative LVEF before discharge in either group. During median follow-up of 3.2 years (interquartile range: 1.3-4.7 years) after surgery, postoperative LVEF increased slightly and then plateaued in patients with preoperative LVEF >= 50%, whereas it increased over 3-4 years after surgery and then gradually decreased in patients with preoperative LVEF <50% (p < .001). Conclusion Long-term postoperative LVEF showed a downward trend in RHD patients with reduced preoperative LVEF, whereas it reached a plateau in RHD patients with normal preoperative LVEF.

Automated summary

Postoperative left ventricular systolic function in patients with rheumatic heart disease can either stabilize or decrease over time, depending on the preoperative left ventricular ejection fraction.