Cardiac function and position more than 5 years after pneumonectomy.

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Thoracic Surgery
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Pneumonectomy alters the pulmonary vascular bed and heart position, potentially impacting cardiac function.
• Long-term effects on right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) function require investigation, considering heart migration post-surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the long-term effects of pneumonectomy on RV and LV function.
• To determine if cardiac function is influenced by the side of pneumonectomy or heart displacement.

Main Methods:

• Dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to evaluate cardiac function and position.
• 15 long-term survivors (more than 5 years post-pneumonectomy) were included in the study.

Main Results:

• Pneumonectomy caused a lateral heart shift after right-sided surgery and rotation after left-sided surgery.
• Long-term survivors exhibited increased heart rate and decreased stroke volume, indicating impaired cardiac function.
• Right-sided pneumonectomy was associated with low RV end-diastolic volume, while left-sided pneumonectomy showed low LV ejection fraction.

Conclusions:

• Pneumonectomy leads to characteristic heart position changes (shift or rotation) depending on the surgical side.
• Overall cardiac function is compromised in long-term pneumonectomy survivors, likely due to the altered heart position.