Effect of revascularization on left ventricular remodeling in patients with heart failure from severe chronic ischemic left ventricular dysfunction

Few data exist regarding the effect of revascularization on left ventricular (LV) geometry in patients with severe LV systolic dysfunction and viable myocardium. We hypothesized that patients with chronic ischemic LV dysfunction but viable myocardium will have improved LV geometry after revascularization, which in turn will improve long-term outcome. Accordingly, 70 patients with severe ischemic LV dysfunction (LV ejection fraction <0.35) were studied at rest. They then either underwent revascularization (n = 36) or were treated medically (n = 34). Fifty-four patients had viable myocardium, and 16 did not. They were evaluated for change in LV function and geometry (size and shape) a mean of 21 months later. Further follow-up was performed for a mean of 3.5 years to determine outcome. Patients with viable myocardium had improvement not only in regional and global function, but also in LV geometry (shape and size), which was independent of and incremental to the improvement in function. On long-term follow-up, change in LV end-systolic volume was the only multivariate discriminator between 15 patients who died and 55 who did not, irrespective of whether they had undergone revascularization. Thus, measurement of the effect of revascularization of viable myocardium in chronic ischemic heart disease should not only include improvement in resting regional and global LV function, but also LV geometry. Improvement in LV geometry contributes to better LV systolic function, which in turn is the best predictor of survival after revascularization.