Determination of right ventricular volumes during aortic surgery

The aim of the present study was to evaluate right ventricular (RV) preload by measurements of right ventricular volumes during aortic clamping and unclamping. Nine patients (aged 67 +/- 9 years) undergoing infrarenal aortic aneurysmectomy were monitored with a pulmonary artery catheter equipped with a fast-response thermistor, allowing determination of RV volumes by the thermodilution technique. Anesthesia consisted of a continuous infusion of alfentanil and 50% N2O. Aortic clamping resulted in a significant decrease in cardiac index (CI) and a significant increase in systemic vascular resistance (SVR). There was no significant change in right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) (from 35% +/- 6% to 33% +/- 8%) in the presence of a significant decrease in stroke index (from 37.2 +/- 9.8 to 31.1 +/- 10.0 mL/beat/m2, P less than 0.05), indicating a significant decrease in RV end-diastolic volume (from 106 +/- 17 to 92 +/- 19 mL, P less than 0.01). There were no significant changes in cardiac filling pressures. Aortic unclamping was associated with a significant increase in CI and a significant decrease in SVR. There were no significant changes in cardiac filling pressures, RVEF, or RV volumes. Measurements of RV volumes indicated that aortic clamping resulted in a decrease in RV preload, which is usually not demonstrated by measurements of right atrial pressure alone.