Significance of right ventricle function assessment and pulmonary vascular resistance after heart transplantation

Significance of right ventricle function assessment and pulmonary vascular resistance after heart transplantationIntroduction: To test the effect of pretransplant pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) on posttransplant right ventricle (RV) size and function as well as to address the possible causes, except cardiotomy 1 , affecting the RV function and its recovery trend after heart transplantation 2 (HTx).Also to compare invasive and echocardiographic RV function measurements and their impact on survival.Patients and Methods: PreHTx right heart catheterization (RHC) as well as postHTx ECG, echo and RHC were performed in 84 adult heart transplant pts.RV longitudinal function was assessed by tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE).Data on PVR, transpulmonary gradient (TPG), RV stroke work index (RVSWI) as well as graft ischemic time (GIT), extracorporeal circulation time (ECCT) and time on mechanical ventilation were collected.