Reversibility of cardiac dysfunction after valve replacement in elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis

The role of aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis has not been fully defined in terms of the postoperative reversibility of cardiac dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension in elderly patients.

Cardiac function, assessed by radioisotope ventriculography and catheterization data, was evaluated before and after operation, and their results were compared between preoperative and postoperative data in each group of younger patients (<69 years, group I, n = 29) and elderly patients (> or =70 years, group II, n = 21).

One month postoperatively the peak ejection rate determined by radioisotope ventriculography improved significantly in comparison with the preoperative value in elderly patients (preoperatively, 228 +/- 38 versus postoperatively, 319 +/- 116% end-diastolic volume per second, p < 0.05), although their preoperative peak ejection rate was severely depressed. The postoperative peak filling rate of the elderly group was not completely reversible to almost normal value, whereas that of the younger group was completely reversible. Early diastolic peak filling rate (one-third peak filling rate) was not reversible in both two groups. Pulmonary hypertension in the elderly patients was reversible to postoperative almost normal pulmonary artery pressure despite the severity of aortic stenosis (systolic pulmonary artery pressure preoperatively, 37 +/- 16 mm Hg versus postoperatively, 25 +/- 5 mm Hg, p < 0.02; diastolic pulmonary artery pressure preoperatively, 15 +/- 6 mm Hg versus postoperatively, 10 +/- 4 mm Hg, p < 0.05).

Both cardiac dysfunction, reflected by reduction of peak ejection rate, and pulmonary hypertension in elderly patients with severe aortic stenosis were reversed, reaching almost normal values 1 month after operation.