Pulmonary hypertension in aortic regurgitation: early surgical outcome

A review of the haemodynamic data of 139 patients with isolated, severe, chronic aortic regurgitation revealed severe pulmonary hypertension (pulmonary artery systolic pressure of greater than or equal to 60 mmHg) in 34 (24 per cent). The left ventricular end-diastolic pressure was high in all patients, suggesting that pulmonary hypertension was a consequence of severe long-standing regurgitation with ventricular dysfunction. Aortic valve replacement was performed in 69 patients, 33 of whom had normal or mildly elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressure (less than 39 mmHg; group I) and 36 of whom had moderate or markedly elevated pulmonary artery systolic pressures (less than 40 mmHg; group II). There was no difference in mortality or prevalence of post-operative complications between these two groups of patients. Furthermore, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class and cardiothoracic ratio were similar in both groups at the six-month assessment. The pulmonary vascular resistance fell from 4.7 +/- 3.5 to 1.5 +/- 0.8 units x m2 in 13 of 17 patients who had repeat catheterization after surgery. Pulmonary artery systolic pressure reverted to normal in 10 of these 13 patients. It is concluded that pulmonary hypertension consequent upon raised left ventricular end-diastolic pressure is common in severe aortic regurgitation, is largely reversible, and does not influence the early outcome after aortic valve replacement.