Recovery from myocardial failure after aortic valve replacement.

Left ventricular hypertrophy and function were studied in 27 consecutive patients with chronic aortic valve disease before and 6.4 +/- 2.2 (S.D.) months after aortic valve replacement with Björk-Shiley prostheses. Four patients were excluded because of postoperative paravalvular regurgitation. Five patients had aortic stenosis (AS), seven patients AS plus insufficiency (AS-AI), and 11 patients aortic insufficiency (AI). Left ventricular muscle mass (LVMI), ejection fraction (EF), mean circumferential fiber shortening rate (VCF), mean normalized systolic ejection rate (MNSER), and peak systolic wall stress (PSWS) were determined angiographically. LVMI fell significantly after corrective surgery, whereas EF, VCF, and MNSER increased. PSWS decreased after the operation. Comparison of stress ventriculograms before and after surgery in six patients with predominant AS (isoproterenol infusion, 0.3 microgram per kilogram of body weight per minute) showed an increase of EF, VCF, and MNSER and a decrease of PSWS. We conclude that hypertrophy in chronic aortic valve disease regresses after aortic valve replacement, and thereby depressed cardiac function and reserve recover.