Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 28, 2025
Transthoracic Speckle Tracking Echocardiography for the Quantitative Assessment of Left Ventricular Myocardial Deformation
Published on: October 20, 2016
Left and right ventricular function detection and myocardial deformation analysis in heart transplant patients with
Hong Ran1, Ping-Yang Zhang1, Xiao-Wu Ma1
1Department of Echocardiography, Nanjing First Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
Insights
Following heart transplantation (HTx), longitudinal strain values decrease in both ventricles but remain stable long-term. The right ventricle shows a greater reduction in strain compared to the left ventricle post-transplant.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Transplantation Medicine
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Heart transplantation (HTx) is a life-saving procedure, but understanding long-term ventricular function is crucial.
- Longitudinal strain analysis provides detailed insights into myocardial deformation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in longitudinal strain between the left and right ventricles after heart transplantation.
- To assess dynamic changes in ventricular function during long-term follow-up post-HTx.
Main Methods:
- Follow-up transthoracic echocardiography was performed in 50 HTx patients at 1-month, 3-month, 1-year, and 5-year intervals.
- Strain values were compared between HTx patients and 26 control subjects.
- Left and right ventricular function was assessed using biplane Simpson and tissue Doppler imaging, respectively.
Main Results:
- Global and segmental longitudinal strain values were significantly reduced in both ventricles of HTx patients compared to controls (P < .001).
- The right ventricle exhibited a more pronounced reduction in global and segmental strain than the left ventricle.
- Strain values remained relatively stable from 1 month to 5 years post-HTx, with a slight increase noted at 1 and 5-year follow-ups compared to earlier time points.
Conclusions:
- Longitudinal strain values decrease after heart transplantation and remain largely stable during long-term follow-up.
- Both ventricles in HTx patients showed preserved or reduced function compared to controls.
- The right ventricle experiences a greater decline in deformation compared to the left ventricle post-HTx.
Objective:
We try to investigate whether the values of longitudinal strain present differences between the left and right ventricles in long-time follow-ups after heart transplantation (HTx) with dynamic changes in function.
Methods And Results:
Follow-up transthoracic echocardiography was performed in 1- and 3-month and 1- and 5-year follow-ups in 50 "healthy" HTx patients and compared with 26 control subjects. The left ventricle with preserved ejection fraction evaluated by biplane Simpson (control group [CG] vs HT; P > .05) had an obvious reduction in global (CG: -20.49 ± 2.38 vs heart transplant 1 month [HT1m]: -13.06 ± 2.86, heart transplant 3 month [HT3m]: -13.61 ± 2.61, heart transplant 1 year [HT1y]: -13.69 ± 4.56, heart transplant 5 year [HT5y]: -14.41 ± 4.54; P < .001) and horizontal segmental (basal, mid, apical) (P < .001) together with chamber segmental (apical 4-chamber, apical 3-chamber, apical 2-chamber) (P < .001) average strain values. The right ventricle with reduced ventricular function measured by tissue Doppler imaging S' and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion had a more distinctive reduction in global (CG: -24.53 ± 4.20 vs HT1m: -12.94 ± 5.03, HT3m: -13.68 ± 4.35, HT1y: -14.95 ± 7.50, HT5y: -15.20 ± 6.15; P < .001) with segmental lateral (P < .001) strain values. There were not any significant changes between 1- and 3-month follow-ups of all the values (P > .05). But it could be seen that values increased in 1- and 5-year follow-ups compared with the baseline of 1- and 3-month follow-ups (P < .05). The global and segmental strain of the right ventricle decreased more than that of the left ventricle in all HTx groups, and the strain values were decreased in the HTx groups compared with the CG, with the global decreased change rates being 11%, 10%, 6%, and 8%, respectively.
Conclusions:
The strain values decreased after HTx and almost remained stable in the long-time follow-ups. Compared with the CG in both ventricles, they were with preserved or reduced functions. In addition, the deformation values of the right ventricle decreased more than those of the left.
More Related Videos
08:49Author Spotlight: Enhancing Graft Viability Assessment Through Quantitative Metrics and Innovative Reservoir Systems
Published on: August 2, 2024
10:33Assessment of Right Ventricular Structure and Function in Mouse Model of Pulmonary Artery Constriction by Transthoracic Echocardiography
Published on: February 3, 2014
Related Concept Videos
01:23Mitral Stenosis II: Clinical features and Diagnostic Tests
01:29Cardiomyopathy V: Interprofessional Care