The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 48, 699-703, Copyright © 1989 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Pulmonary artery versus left ventricular venting: a radioisotope study of left ventricular function
IM Mitchell, G Prabhakar, J Maughan and DN Taylor
Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry, United Kingdom.
Radionuclide measurements of ejection fraction were used to assess
immediate and late postoperative ventricular function after the use of
either a pulmonary artery vent (group A) or a left ventricular vent (group
B) in 20 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement for pure aortic
stenosis. Ten patients were included in each group and anesthetic
techniques, patient management, and septal temperatures were similar in all
cases. No significant difference was found between the preoperative and
immediate or 6-week postoperative ejection fractions, either taken overall
or between the two groups (p greater than 0.05; Student's t test). No
correlation was found between cross-clamp time, bypass time, or the
occurrence of ventricular fibrillation and the immediate postoperative
ejection fraction (p greater than 0.05; Student's t test). There was no
significant difference in the incidence of ventricular fibrillation after
each type of vent had been used (chi 1(0) = 3.32; p greater than 0.05). We
did not demonstrate any abnormalities in regional wall motion associated
with apical insertion of a left ventricular vent, and conclude that
pulmonary artery and left ventricular vents are equally satisfactory in
terms of postoperative ventricular performance.