Inadequate visualization and reporting of ventricular function from transthoracic echocardiography after cardiac surgery.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of and risk factors for inadequate reporting of ventricular function from transthoracic echocardiography after cardiac surgery. Design and Setting A retrospective study of cardiac surgical patients at 1 university hospital. Patients The first 300 consecutive patients who had transthoracic echocardiogram within the first 7 days after cardiac surgery. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results The primary outcomes for this study were inadequate visualization of the left ventricle, the right ventricle, or both ventricles. Analysis of data from 300 patients identified inadequate imaging of the left ventricle in 50 (17%) cases, inadequate imaging of the right ventricle in 112 (37%) cases, inadequate imaging of both ventricles in 37 (12%) cases, and inadequate imaging of either the left or right ventricle in 125 (42%) cases. Increasing age, earlier postoperative day, male sex, and median sternotomy were associated with inadequate imaging. Conclusions Transthoracic imaging is often inadequate in patients who have undergone recent cardiac surgery. Patient and surgical characteristics influence reporting of right and left ventricular function.