Guidelines for the Evaluation of Prosthetic Valve Function With Cardiovascular Imaging: A Report From the American Society of Echocardiography Developed in Collaboration With the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance and the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography.

In patients with significant cardiac valvular disease, intervention with either valve repair or valve replacement may be inevitable. Although valve repair is frequently performed, especially for mitral and tricuspid regurgitation, valve replacement remains common, particularly in adults. Diagnostic methods are often needed to assess the function of the prosthesis. Echocardiography is the first-line method for noninvasive evaluation of prosthetic valve function. The transthoracic approach is complemented with two-dimensional and three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography for further refinement of valve morphology and function when needed. More recently, advances in computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance have enhanced their roles in evaluating valvular heart disease. This document offers a review of the echocardiographic techniques used and provides recommendations and general guidelines for evaluation of prosthetic valve function on the basis of the scientific literature and consensus of a panel of experts. This guideline discusses the role of advanced imaging with transesophageal echocardiography, cardiac computed tomography, and cardiac magnetic resonance in evaluating prosthetic valve structure, function, and regurgitation. It replaces the 2009 American Society of Echocardiography guideline on prosthetic valves and complements the 2019 guideline on the evaluation of valvular regurgitation after percutaneous valve repair or replacement.

Pregnancy Management in a Patient With Congenital Heart Disease and Severe Right Ventricle to Pulmonary Artery Conduit Stenosis.

Background: Pregnancy causes multiple hemodynamic changes that place significant stress on the cardiovascular system. With advancements in medical care, individuals with complex congenital heart disease are living into their childbearing years. Much remains to be understood about the effects and management of pregnancy in individuals with complex congenital heart disease. Case Report: We describe the management and delivery of a 29-year-old pregnant female with repaired tetralogy of Fallot or ventricular septal defect with pulmonary atresia. The patient presented at 21 weeks' gestation with New York Heart Association class II symptoms and pulmonary conduit stenosis, with a mean gradient of 52 mmHg. At 36.5 weeks' gestation, she developed severe pulmonary conduit stenosis with a mean gradient of >75 mmHg. The patient was admitted at 37 weeks' gestation for planned delivery. After a successful cesarean section and bilateral tubal ligation, the patient had an uncomplicated postoperative course. She was scheduled for follow-up for severe conduit stenosis at 6 weeks postpartum to discuss management options. Conclusion: Management of a pregnant patient with adult congenital heart disease should involve risk stratification for complications (commonly congestive heart failure exacerbation and arrhythmias) using tools such as the modified World Health Organization pregnancy risk classification. Based on the risk category, decisions must be made about frequency of follow-up, anesthesia, and mode of delivery. Patients in moderate to high-risk stratification should be managed by a multidisciplinary team at a specialty center, and all patients should undergo an anesthesia consultation prior to delivery. The decision for vaginal or cesarean delivery should be made on a case-by-case basis with consideration given to patient preference. Patients with asymptomatic moderate to severe pulmonic stenosis can be managed conservatively with appropriate follow-up and cardiac imaging, allowing intervention to be completed after delivery.

Echocardiography in Congenital Heart Disease.

As the prevalence of adult congenital heart disease continues to grow secondary to advances in surgical and diagnostic techniques, it is important for a physician to supplement their examinations with non-invasive imaging techniques to assess their patients. Although a number of these patients have regular cardiology followup, some may be new patients that do not even know their cardiac history. Echocardiography has proven to be a useful tool for this purpose and its utility has expanded drastically with the development of better technology and newer techniques. In this article, we highlight some of these advancements including 2D echocardiography, agitated saline, contrast echocardiography, stress, and 4D, in addition to how each modality can help assess key aspects of the structure and function of a congenital heart defect.

Family Planning and Pregnancy Management in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease.

With advances in congenital heart disease management, there are an increasing number of women reaching reproductive age. Pregnancy results in a surge of hormones and increased demands on both the cardiovascular (CV) and respiratory systems. Depending on the heart defect and the treatments the mother has undergone, these hemodynamic changes can result in an increased risk of maternal CV events and an increased risk of fetal morbidity and mortality. Thus, it is important to have a comprehensive approach to adult congenital heart disease patients involving pre-pregnancy planning in addition to diligent peri- and post-partum care.

Prediction of All-Cause Mortality by the Left Atrial Volume Index in Patients With Normal Left Ventricular Filling Pressure and Preserved Ejection Fraction.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of left atrial (LA) enlargement (LAE) and its association with all-cause mortality in 10,719 patients with an early diastolic transmitral flow velocity (E) to early diastolic mitral annular velocity (e') ratio-determined normal left ventricular (LV) filling pressure and preserved LV ejection fraction (LVEF). METHODS: We evaluated 10,719 patients (deceased patients: n = 479; mean [SD] age, 65 [14] years; 60% male; surviving patients: n = 10,240; mean (SD) age, 54 (16) years; 48% male) with estimated normal LV filling pressure (E/e' ratio ≤ 8) and preserved LVEF (≥ 50%) to determine the impact of LA volume index (LAVi) on all-cause mortality during a mean (SD) follow-up of 2.2 (1.0) years. RESULTS: In the univariate analysis, with every milliliter per square meter increase in LAVi, all-cause mortality risk increased by 3% (hazard ratio [HR], 1.03; 95% CI, 1.02-1.04; P < .001). After adjusting for covariates, LAVi (as a continuous variable) was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality (HR, 1.015; 95% CI, 1.005-1.026; P = .01). When LAVi was assessed as a categorical variable with normal LAVi (≤ 28 mL/m(2)) as the reference group, moderate LAVi (34-39 mL/m(2)) and severe LAVi (≥ 40 mL/m(2)) were independent predictors of all-cause mortality (HR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.01-1.79; P = .04; and HR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.18-2.29; P = .003, respectively). CONCLUSION: LAE was independently associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in our large cohort of 10,719 patients with normal LV filling pressure and preserved LVEF.

An unusual cardiac defect in a patient with clinical features overlapping between cardiofaciocutaneous and Noonan syndromes.

It is important to recognize the possibility of a syndromic etiology of cardiac defects when dysmorphic features and other congenital defects are present. We report a patient who presented with atrial fibrillation and was found to have an abnormal mitral valve, congenital aneurysm of the left atrial appendage, and features consistent with both Cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome and Noonan syndrome. The congenital aneurysm of the left atrial appendage was a previously unreported cardiac presentation for either syndrome. Diagnostic considerations based upon his genotype and phenotype are discussed, along with his unique cardiac presentation and treatment.

Cardiac sarcoidosis: a case report and review of the literature.

Massive pericardial effusion is rarely the sole clinical presenting symptom of sarcoidosis. Herein we report a case of recurrent pericardial effusions requiring surgical intervention secondary to sarcoidosis. A review of the literature regarding the prevalence/histopathology, the role of endomyocardial biopsy, the use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and the utility of steroid based treatments in the management of cardiac sarcoidosis is discussed.

Impact of left ventricular geometry on prognosis-a review of ochsner studies.

We review data from epidemiologic and population-based studies that demonstrate the impact of abnormal left ventricular geometric patterns, including both concentric remodeling and left ventricular hypertrophy, on major cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We also review studies from Ochsner Clinic Foundation that assessed the impact of various left ventricular geometric patterns on overall cardiovascular prognosis, especially all-cause mortality.