Effects of Balloon Valvuloplasty on Coronary Blood Flow in Neonates With Critical Pulmonary Valve Stenosis Assessed With Transthoracic Doppler Echocardiography.

• BACKGROUND: Treating pulmonary valve stenosis with balloon valvuloplasty (BV) is a good model to study the effect of right ventricular (RV) pressures on coronary flow. METHODS: Transthoracic Doppler echocardiography was used to register coronary flow in 10 age-matched healthy controls and 7 neonates before and 1 day after BV. RESULTS: Left ventricular fractional shortening and cardiac output increased significantly after BV. Right coronary artery diameter decreased from 1.2 +/- 0.2 to 1.1 +/- 0.1 mm (P < .02). Posterior descending coronary artery flow parameters decreased significantly, with blood flow decreasing from 8.4 to 5.7 +/- 1.9 mL/s (P < .003). RV end-diastolic pressure and RV systolic pressure explained almost totally the variation in coronary flow (r(2) = 0.87). CONCLUSIONS: RV end-diastolic pressure and RV systolic pressure determined coronary flow in neonates with critical pulmonary valve stenosis. Cardiac output and left ventricular fractional shortening increased after pulmonary valve BV.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Pediatrik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Pediatrics (hsv//eng)

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art (subject category)

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