Transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation of left ventricular function during intraaortic balloon pump counterpulsation.

Transesophageal echocardiography was used to study the effects of intraaortic balloon pump counter pulsation (IABP) on left ventricular dimensions and function in 16 hypotensive patients after cardiac surgery. The short-axis cross section at midpapillary muscle level was used to determine systolic and diastolic dimensions. We found a significant decrease in end-systolic and end-diastolic area and increase in fractional area change during IABP-supported circulation. Regional area ejection fraction analysis demonstrated an improvement during IABP of impaired (particularly severely impaired) function at baseline. We conclude that both regional and global left ventricular function improve by the use of IABP in conjunction with a decrease of left ventricular size.