Safety and clinical benefits of transsubxiphoidal left ventricular puncture.

We performed a transsubxiphoidal LV puncture (TSLVP) to evaluate left ventricular function in 21 patients with both mechanical prosthetic aortic and mitral valves and successfully obtained hemodynamic information on each patient. Analyzing cardiac hemodynamic information and ventriculographic findings obtained with TSLVP, we concluded that seven of the patients required repair of their prosthetic valves. Five of these seven patients agreed to replacement of their valves, whereas two did not. TSLVP was performed adequately and safely without severe complications, suggesting that this maneuver is easier than that of transapical LV puncture and should be recommended for the assessment of left ventricular hemodynamic functions instead of the transapical LV puncture, especially in patients requiring replacement of two valves.
(Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)