Assessment of immediate effects of percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty on right ventricular and pulmonary functions in severe rheumatic mitral stenosis patients using speckle tracking echocardiography and spirometry

Introduction: The current study was sought to assess the immediate effect of percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV) on right ventricular (RV) and pulmonary functions using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) and spirometry respectively. Methods: Two-dimensional speckle tracking and doppler studies for strain and strain rate imaging of RV were performed before PBMV, after 48h and 15 days of PBMV using echocardiography and spirometry. Mitral valve area, peak and mean mitral valve transannular pressure gradients, late filling velocities, Wilkins score, Systolic pulmonary artery pressure, TAPSE, RV end diastolic and end-systolic areas, RV fractional area change and Tei index were measured. Results: There was a significant rise in peak RV GLS from baseline to 48h post PBMV and at 15 days post PBMV. Segmental RV strain at basal septum, mid septum, apical septum and basal RV free wall showed considerable improvement from baseline to 48h post PBMV and 15 days post PBMV. RV longitudinal strain rate parameters did not show significant improvement after PBMV and remained low at follow-up. Post PBMV all patients showed restrictive features on pulmonary function test. The mean FEV1 (% predicted), mean FVC (% predicted), mean PEFR improved from baseline to 48h PBMV and 15 days post PBMV. Though the mean FEV1/FVC increased post PBMV at 15 days follow-up, but it was statistically insignificant. RV performance in MS was decreased mainly due to increase in RV afterload which improves after PBMV. Patients with severe MS have impaired pulmonary function which is of restrictive type and successful PBMV improves pulmonary function.