Clinical significance of diastolic dysfunction on outcomes of pulmonary valve replacement for pulmonary insufficiency

Objectives: According to the current guidelines of pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) for pulmonary insufficiency, the age at the time of PVR is becoming younger. However, recent studies have shown that the improvements in mortality have leveled off, making it important to suppress the cumulative lifetime risk of morbidity. In this study we aimed to identify the risk factors for morbidity late after PVR.

Methods: Sixty-three patients who underwent PVR for pulmonary insufficiency after intracardiac repair of tetralogy of Fallot or pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect at our hospital from 2003 to 2019 were included in this study. Morbidity of PVR included arrhythmia requiring treatment and hospitalization for heart failure. The influence of hemodynamic parameters before PVR was analyzed using the Cox proportional hazards model.

Results: The median postoperative follow-up period was 6.5 years. Cardiac death and redo PVR because of prosthetic valve dysfunction were not observed. Twenty-two patients suffered cardiovascular adverse events, including 16 supraventricular tachycardia, 3 sick sinus syndrome/atrioventricular block, 2 sustained ventricular tachycardia, and 1 heart failure hospitalization as first events. In the multivariable analysis, pulmonary end diastolic forward flow (hazard ratio [HR], 7.8; 95% CI, 2.6-23; P < .001), right atrial volume index (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01-1.04; P = .005), and right atrial pressure (HR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.01-1.45; P = .042) were significant risk factors for adverse events late after PVR.

Conclusions: End diastolic forward flow, large right atrial volume index, and high right atrial pressure before PVR, which are considered markers of diastolic dysfunction, were significant risk factors for cardiovascular adverse events after PVR.