1. The right ventricle of transplanted hearts at 2,640 meters above sea level. A latin-american experience.
- Author
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Vasquez-Rodriguez, Juan F., Medina-Mur, Ramon, Giraldo, Luis E., Jaimes, Claudia, Lopez, Monica, Ramirez, John, and Rodriguez, Juliana
- Subjects
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RIGHT heart ventricle , *RIGHT ventricular dysfunction , *HEART transplantation , *POSTOPERATIVE period , *SEA level , *ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY , *FOLLOW-up studies (Medicine) , *PULMONARY artery - Abstract
Background: High-altitude cardiovascular adaptations increase lung pressure. This effect on the right ventricle (RV) of transplanted hearts at altitudes above 2,500 meters above sea level (masl) has not been described. Objective: The objective of the study was to describe echocardiography RV behavior in the immediate post-operative period (Days 1-7 post-Heart transplant [HTx]), 3, 6, 12, and 24 months after HTx in patients at 2,640 masl. Methods: Historical cohort of HTx patients in the period between 2005 and 2019, in a hospital located in Bogotá, Colombia. Socio-demographic, clinical, and echocardiographic evaluation data of the RV at 5 follow-up moments were analyzed. Results: 91 patients underwent HTx, 64% remained at a height > 2,500 masl in the post-operative period. Transthoracic echo was available in 37 patients (40.6%). Right ventricular dysfunction was found in 95% of patients, which was predominantly moderate (43%), with improvement 3 months after transplant. The immediate post-operative Tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion was 8.9 ± 4.9 mm, with recovery from the 3rd post-operative month (15.1 ± 3.6 mm) and without significant changes in month 24 (15.8 ± 4.9 mm). Immediate post-operative systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) was 39.2 ± 8.2 mmHg, showing a decrease at 24 post-operative months (31.0 ± 5.0 mmHg). The 5-year survival was 78% Confidence Interval 95% 60-85. Conclusion: After HTx, most patients present right ventricular dysfunction, improving at the 3rd month of transplant. There were no significant differences between patients living at more than 2,500 masl and < 2,500 masl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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