Aortic valve replacement for aortic insufficiency: Valve type as a determinant of systolic strain recovery

Background and Aim: Left ventricular (LV) 3D systolic strain decreases in absolute value post-operatively and does not recover in patients who undergo aortic valve replacement (AVR) for chronic aortic insufficiency (Al). We investigated whether choice of valve prosthesis (mechanical [St. Jude], bioprosthetic [bovine pericardial], Ross procedure) had a significant impact on strain recovery in this surgical population. Methods: MRI with tissue-tagging was performed on 14 patients with chronic Al both before and 28 ± 13 months after AVR. Average values of LV systolic strain and end-systolic stress (ESS) were computed from MRI data for the LV. Three types of prosthetic valve were examined (Ross procedure n = 4, bovine pericardial n = 5, and St. Jude n = 5). Results: Overall, systolic strain, ESS, LV volumes, ejection fraction, and LV mass all changed significantly following AVR. Comparisons between individual valve types revealed no differences in any of these measurements. Patients who received a mechanical valve had a greater decrease in the absolute value of systolic strain following surgery compared to patients from the nonmechanical group (Ross procedure and bioprosthetic valve). Comparisons between the Ross group and the prosthetic group (St. Jude and bioprosthetic) produced no significant differences in strain, ESS, LV volume, and mass. Conclusions: These early results suggest that valve prosthetic type may be a factor in efforts to improve strain recovery after AVR for Al, although further investigation is warranted. MRI with tissue-tagging may be a useful tool for comparing the impact of prosthetic valve choice on incompletely recovered systolic strain following AVR for chronic Al.