Evaluation of left and right ventricular functions pre and post balloon mitral Valvuloplasty using speckled tracking echocardiography

Background: Rheumatic heart disease remains a considerable cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in developing countries such as India. The aim of the present study was to compare ventricular (LV and RV) function in patients with severe mitral stenosis (MS) undergoing balloon mitral Valvuloplasty (BMV) with those on medical management and also with healthy controls and to assess the burden of ventricular (LV and RV) systolic dysfunction, its determinants, and its reversibility with percutaneous balloon mitral Valvuloplasty using speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with severe MS.Methods: This prospective study was performed in a tertiary care center, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow in patients with severe MS, from September 2014 to September 2015. A total of 60 were divided into three groups. Cases (n=30), patients with severe MS undergoing BMV; case controls (n=20), patients with severe MS who did not give consent for BMV and chose medical management and healthy controls (n=10). Cases who underwent BMV were analyzed pre and post BMV and detailed echocardiographic and speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) was done at baseline, 24-48 hours after BMV and at post one month after BMV. Appropriate statistical analysis was applied and different parameters were compared.Results: Most of the cases (56.7%) control (65%) and healthy controls (40%) were between 21-30 years of age. Female preponderance was observed in the study. A significant (p=0.01) decrease in the LA size, PASP (p=0.0001), MV PG area (p=0.0001) and significant (p=0.0001) increase in the LVEF, MVA area was observed from baseline to post 24-48 hours and at post one month after BMV among cases. Significant improvement was noticed in longitudinal strain and regional rotation in different LV segments as assessed by STE at post 24-48 hours and post one month after BMV (p value 0.001) among cases. No significant (p>0.05) difference in the 2D echo parameters was seen from baseline to follow-ups among the case controls. No significant improvement was observed in regional rotation, global rotation in different LV and RV segments after one month as assessed by STE among case controls whereas significant improvement was seen in cases.Conclusions: BMV results in marked improvement in LV and RV GLS immediately post BMV with improvement towards normalization at follow up after one month and the same can be easily assessed by Speckle tracking echocardiography