Influence of pericardium on left atrial compliance and pulmonary venous flow.

We studied seven open-chest anesthetized dogs to test the hypothesis that left atrial (LA) compliance is increased after pericardiectomy and to determine the effect of pericardiectomy on left atrial reservoir and conduit function. Two orthogonal sonomicrometer crystal pairs were used to estimate LA volume, and LA filling was assessed with a pulmonary vein (PV) flow probe. The left ventricular (LV) systolic (JFTI) and diastolic (KFTI) PV flow integrals were used as indexes of LA reservoir and conduit function, respectively. Diastolic LV transmitral flow was assessed with transesophageal Doppler echocardiography. Data were acquired over a wide range of intracardiac pressures and volumes obtained by intravenous hetastarch infusion both before and after pericardiectomy. The mean dynamic stiffness constant of the LA diastolic pressure-volume relation was significantly greater before pericardiectomy than afterwards (0.15 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.08 +/- 0.03 ml-1, P < 0.05). Data were analyzed before and after pericardiectomy at three matched levels of left atrial pressure (LAP; 7, 13, and 20 mmHg). The J-to-KFTI ratio increased significantly with volume infusion and was significantly less after pericardiectomy than before (1.2 +/- 0.7 vs. 1.2 +/- 0.6, 1.8 +/- 0.6 vs. 2.2 +/- 0.9, and 2.0 +/- 0.8 vs. 2.6 +/- 0.9 at low, mid, and high levels of LAP, respectively; P < 0.05 at mid and high levels of LAP). Peak early transmitral velocity increased with both volume infusion and pericardiectomy. We conclude that pericardiectomy increases LA compliance and early LV filling rate and is accompanied by a relatively greater augmentation in conduit than reservoir function of the left atrium.