Assessing the impact of transcatheter aortic valve replacement on myocardial work indices and left ventricular diastolic function in aortic valve stenosis patients

Background

Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease worldwide. When timely intervention is performed, aortic valve replacement can improve patients' quality and duration of life. Load-independent left ventricular (LV) functional assessments, such as myocardial work indices (MWIs) and LV diastolic function parameters, could help clinicians decide on the optimal timing of intervention.

Aims

To evaluate the reliability of MWI in AS patients and the changes in MWI and LV diastolic function after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

Methods

We enrolled 53 consecutive patients with severe AS undergoing TAVR admitted between March 2021 and November 2021. MWIs and LV diastolic function were assessed before and after TAVR for each patient.

Results

All MWIs and LV diastolic function indices improved after TAVR. The degree of MWIs improvement was higher in patients with lower prior-TAVR MWI values, while the more severe the impairment of diastolic function, the greater the post-TAVR benefit.

Conclusion

The introduction of myocardial work parameters into the routine assessment of patients with AS could improve our understanding of cardiac performance and aid in identifying the optimal timing for surgical or percutaneous treatment.