Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
08:21
Biventricular Assessment of Cardiac Function and Pressure-Volume Loops by Closed-Chest Catheterization in Mice
Published on: June 15, 2020
Managing and predicting electrical and mechanical failure in the systemic right ventricle
Stephanie Fuentes Rojas1, Paul Khairy
1Electrophysiology Service and Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
Current Opinion in Cardiology
|May 8, 2026
Summary
Systemic right ventricular dysfunction and arrhythmias are common in adults with congenital heart disease. These conditions worsen each other, requiring integrated management strategies for better outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) are surviving longer.
- The morphologic right ventricle (RV) faces long-term challenges supporting systemic circulation.
- Heart failure and arrhythmias are prevalent in this population, causing significant morbidity and mortality.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the mechanisms linking systemic RV dysfunction and arrhythmogenesis in adults with CHD.
- To discuss the implications for current management strategies.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent literature on RV remodeling and arrhythmias in CHD.
- Analysis of the bidirectional relationship between RV dysfunction and arrhythmias.
- Evaluation of current and emerging therapeutic options.
Main Results:
- Chronic systemic RV volume/pressure overload leads to maladaptive remodeling, promoting arrhythmias.
- Arrhythmias exacerbate RV dysfunction via loss of synchrony, tachycardia, and hypoxemia.
- Therapeutic advances include catheter ablation, device therapy, and pacing, but evidence for optimal use is limited.
Conclusions:
- Systemic RV failure and arrhythmias are interconnected and evolve over time.
- Integrating mechanistic understanding with advanced phenotyping and risk stratification is key.
- Personalized management strategies are needed to preserve RV function and improve arrhythmia control.
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