Predicting outcome of pulmonary valve replacement in adult tetralogy of fallot patients

Background. Predicting changes in right ventricular (RV) size and function after pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) is important for timely reintervention in adult tetralogy of Fallot patients. Methods. We analyzed the influence of pulmonary regurgitation severity and RV size and function before PVR on the outcome of RV size and function after PVR in 27 adult Fallot patients who had cardiac magnetic resonance imaging before and after PVR. RV dimensions were indexed for body surface area. Results. Pulmonary regurgitation (48% +/- 11% of RV stroke volume) was not related to RV dimensions and function before PVR. Moreover, severity of pulmonary regurgitation did not influence changes in RV dimensions after PVR. The indexed RV end-systolic volume before PVR (mean, 98 mL/m(2); range, 52 to 235 mL/m(2)) best predicted the indexed RV end-systolic volume after PVR (mean, 59 mL/m(2); range, 24 to 132 mL/m(2), r = 0.78, p < 0.001) and the indexed RV end-diastolic volume after PVR (mean, 107 mL/m(2); range, 70 to 170 mL/m(2), r = 0.73, p < 0.001). Baseline RV ejection fraction corrected for valvular insufficiencies and shunting (21% 7%) best predicted the RV ejection fraction after PVR (43% 10%, r = 0.77, p < 0.001). Conclusions. Timing of PVR should be based on indexed RV end-systolic volume and corrected RV ejection fraction rather than on severity of pulmonary regurgitation.