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Updated: Oct 8, 2026
Morphological and Functional Assessment of the Right Ventricle Using 3D Echocardiography
Published on: October 28, 2020
Evolution of right ventricular contraction patterns of adult heart transplant recipients by three-dimensional
Yuji Xie1,2,3, Wei Sun1,2,3, Linyue Zhang1,2,3
1Department of Ultrasound Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
Background:
The right ventricular contractile pattern is altered after heart transplantation (HT). This study aims to use three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) to comprehensively assess right ventricular contractile pattern in HT patients.
Methods:
In a cohort of 200 adult HT recipients, we serially assessed 3DE RV contraction patterns-including global (RVEF), longitudinal (LEF), radial (REF), and anteroposterior (AEF) ejection fractions-from the early post-operative period to 3 years. 50 HT patients were compared to matched healthy controls and open-heart surgery patients. Sex-specific reference values were derived.
Results:
RV function parameters improved within the first year (all P < 0.05), then stabilized. At 1 year, HT recipients exhibited a distinct 3D contraction pattern compared to controls: attenuated longitudinal and anteroposterior function (LEF: 18.2% vs. 28.6%; AEF: 23.8% vs. 25.4%; P < 0.05) with compensatory enhanced radial contraction (REF: 29.8% vs. 24.6%; P < 0.05). Established reference ranges confirmed this phenotype. Cardiopulmonary bypass time were key determinants of this pattern.
Conclusions:
HT recipients develop a unique, stabilized RV contraction pattern by one year, characterized by a shift from longitudinal to radial dominance.
