RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: to examine relationship between anatomical changes of the left ventricle (LV), dynamics of velocity of its volume modification, and blood flows in the LV in patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) before and after surgical treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included into this study 58 patients with severe 3-4 degree MR (38 men, 20 women aged 24-69 [mean age 51±9] years) in sinus rhythm (96 %) or atrial fibrillation (4 %). The control group included 86 healthy volunteers, mean age 39±7 years. Transthoracic echocardiographic studies were performed in both groups by standard technique at rest using a high-quality echocardiograph Vivid E9, equipped with a 3.5-4.6 MHz multi frequency transducer (in patients before and after surgical repair - mitral valve [MV] replacement and MV reconstruction with annuloplasty ring). The analysis of files recorded was performed off-line by vector analysis technique including estimation of myocardial deformation velocities and dynamics of LV volume modification, construction of "flow-volume" diagram, calculation of the expended kinetic energy, and registration of intraventricular blood flows. RESULTS: End diastolic volume (EDV), end systolic volume (ESV) and total stroke volume (TSV) (effective + retrograde) were significantly increased in patients with severe LV volume overload before surgery in comparison with the control group (p.