Early changes of cardiac structure and function after lung transplantation by echocardiography

Objective To determine the changes of heart structure and function in early stage after lung transplant and to study the relationship between decreased pulmonary artery pressure and changes of heart structure and function.Methods 45 cases of lung transplant recipients were included in the study,their preoperative and postoperative echocardiography data were reviewed,and the postoperative early changes of cardiac structure and function were analysed.Then,the Pearson correlation analysis was used to compare the relationships between the decrease of pulmonary artery pressure and the changes of cardiac structure and function.Results After lung transplant,pulmonary artery systolic pressure(PASP) decreased significantly [(62.3 ± 27.2) vs (36.20 ± 7.8)mm Hg,P ＜0.01],and right ventricular dimensions zoomed down,tricuspid valve and pulmonary valve regurgitation reduced,left atrial diameter (LAD) and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVDD) were enlarged,stroke volume (SV) increased [(43.85 ± 14.78) vs (58.68 ± 13.85)],but left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was decreased [(69.31 ± 7.50)％ vs (62.82 ± 8.12) ％],those differences above were statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05) compared with preoperative echocardiography date.Pearson linear correlation analysis show that after lung transplantation the more decreased PASP,the more increased LAD and LVDD,and the more decreased LVEF (P ＜0.05).Conclusions In early stage after lung transplant,the structure of right ventricular was quickly normalized,the function of right ventricular improved,LAD enlarged,SV increased,but left ventricular function reduced,there were a linear correlation between those changes and PASP reduced.Echocardiography has good reference value for early lung transplant patient. Key words: Echocardiography;  Lung transplantation;  Ventricilar function;  Atrial function;