Effect of surgical aortic valvuloplasty for aortic insufficiency using echocardiography one year after surgery in 25 patients

Objective: To investigate effect of surgical aortic valvuloplasty(AVP) for aortic insufficiency in patients using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Methods: A total of 25 patients underwent AVP surgery for aortic insufficiency(AI) were enrolled, and TTE was performed to evaluate effects of AVP. Cardiac chamber size, left ventricular(LV) systolic and diastolic function, AI grade, systolic transvalvular blood flow velocity and pressure gradient were measured one year after surgery, and results were compared to those before operation. Results: Echocardiographic measurements show that AVP, LV overload was reversed, Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter [(54.4±4.6) mm preoperatively vs ( 50.0±4.9) mm postoperatively, P=0.003), left ventricular end-diastolic volume[(145.7±28.8) mL preoperatively vs (120.4±27.8) mL pos-toperatively, P<0.001), left ventricular end-systolic diameter [34.0(31.0, 38.0) mm preoperatively vs 31.0(29.5, 34.0) mm postoperatively, P<0.001], left ventricular end-systolic volume [47.0(37.5, 63.0) mL preoperatively vs 37.0(32.5, 48.5) mL postoperatively, P=0.005], left ventricular stroke volume [(92.6±18.4) mL preoperatively vs (78.4±17.8) mL postoperatively, P<0.001] were significantly decreased, and the degree of aortic valve regurgitation was also significantly relieved (chi-square value is 21.000, P=0.021). However, there were no significant changes in aortic transvalvular flow velocity and pressure gradient [(1.8±0.4) m/s preoperatively vs (1.7±0.4) m/s postoperatively, P=0.086) and [(13.4±5.2) mmHg preoperatively vs (11.6±5.7) mmHg postoperatively, P=0.152). Postoperative regurgitation score ≥3 points were found in 5 cases. Conclusions: One year after AVP, the rate of moderate regurgitation in these patients is 20%. All AI is signifi-cantly alleviated after AVP, with reversed LV overload and accompanied by favorable LV remodelling, which is consistent with clinical manifestations