The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 95, 598-602, Copyright © 1988 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Relationship of right and left ventricular negative diastolic pressures, hypercontractility, and relief of outflow tract obstructions
R Mohr, Z Ziskind, J Lavee, G Ruvolo, A Smolinsky and DA Goor
Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Continuous postoperative right and left ventricular diastolic pressures
were measured in 12 consecutive patients undergoing pulmonic valvotomy and
in 13 consecutive patients undergoing membranectomy and myectomy for
discrete subaortic stenosis. All 25 patients had positive preoperative
diastolic ventricular pressures. Negative ventricular diastolic pressure
was detected immediately postoperatively in all 25. The lowest left
ventricular negative diastolic pressure was -38 mm Hg, and the lowest right
ventricular negative diastolic pressure was -28 mm Hg. Intravenous
administration of volume (blood) reduced the right ventricular negative
diastolic pressure significantly (from -14.8 +/- 9.2 to -6.4 +/- 6.8 mm Hg,
p less than 0.001) and decreased right ventricular rate of pressure rise
from 1100 +/- 320 to 380 +/- 180. Left ventricular negative diastolic
pressure was not significantly affected (from -17 +/- 11 to -14.7 +/- 11 mm
Hg). Left ventricular negative diastolic pressure disappeared spontaneously
6 to 9 hours postoperatively in association with a spontaneous decrease of
left ventricular rate of pressure rise (from 3450 +/- 610 to 2100 +/- 660
mm Hg/sec). We conclude that negative right and left ventricular pressures
are common findings immediately after surgical relief of outflow
obstructions. Hypercontractility is the main reason for these phenomena.
Volume load reduces the right ventricular negative diastolic pressure, but
has insignificant effect on left ventricular negative diastolic pressure.
The pathogenesis of the hypercontractility is discussed.