Improvement of left ventricular function after surgical correction of chronic XXXX .

@entity1 @entity73 @entity337
Serial left ventricular (LV) echocardiographic studies were performed in 21 @entity1 before and after aortic valve replacement for chronic @entity337 . The effect of valve replacement on LV dimensions, cross-sectional area of the LV muscle and LV function was determined from the echocardiographic data. The relation between degeneration of the myocardium and surgical outcome was also investigated. The average LV end-diastolic dimension decreased from 66.0 +/- 8.3 mm to 46.3 +/- 5.7 mm twelve months postoperatively. The average LV end-systolic dimension also fell from 43.4 +/- 8.1 mm to 31.1 +/- 5.0 mm. The muscle cross-sectional area decreased from 33.1 +/- 5.1 cm2 to 24.5 +/- 4.0 cm2, indicating a decrease in LV mass. The indices of contractility (fractional shortening, ejection fraction and mean velocity of circumferential fibre shortening) had a tendency to decrease one month after surgery, but they subsequently increased to the normal level 12 months after surgery. Nineteen out of 21 @entity1 showed a favorable outcome as to the functional status. The remaining two @entity1 had a large LV dimension and subnormal contractility, and they failed to show a significant reduction in the follow-up period. The muscle score in the two @entity1 was greater than 8 points, which indicated irreversible @entity73 . @entity1 with persistent postoperative LV enlargement have a poor prognosis and should be identified so that aggressive medical treatment can be instituted.
