Skip Navigation

European Heart Journal 1988 9(8):874-878;
Copyright © 1988 by the European Society of Cardiology.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by CARRERAS, F.
Right arrow Articles by GARCÍA-MOLL, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by CARRERAS, F.
Right arrow Articles by GARCÍA-MOLL, M.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1988 The European Society of Cardiology

Non-invasive preoperative assessment of chronic valvular heart disease by Doppler ultrasound

F. CARRERAS, G. PONS-LLADÓ, X. BORRÁS, J. M. PADRÓ, J. M. CARALPS, A. ARÍS and M. GARCÍA-MOLL

Department of Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery Unit, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau Barcelona, Spain

Received 23 November 1987; revised 9 February 1988; .

Address for reprints: Dr F. Carreras, Servei de Cardiologia. Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Avgda. Sant Antoni M Claret, 167, 08025-Barcelona, Spain.

Abstract

Between February 1986 and June 1987,306 consecutive patients were included in a programme of non-invasive preoperative assessment of valvular heart disease using M-mode and cross-sectional echocardiography and Doppler ultrasound. In 285 cases (93%), echocardiography provided all the necessary preoperative information. Coronary angiography was performed in 74 patients because of angina and in 55 because of their age. Invasive investigation was needed in 21 cases because of discrepancies between clinical data and echo-Doppler results. The results were definitely misleading in six patients, mainly due to erroneous assessment of valvular regurgitation. One hundred and ninety one patients underwent valve surgery (179 evaluated exclusively by echocardiography, 79 with coronary angiography as the sole invasive procedure). No discrepancies were observed between echo-Doppler diagnosis and macroscopic evaluation of valvular heart disease at surgery. Operative mortality (3.6%) was not significantly different from that observed during the preceeding period when preoperative catheterisation was performed (3.3%). It is concluded that echo-Doppler techniques are perfectly satisfactory for the preoperative assessment of patients with valvular heart disease. Cardiac catheterisation is only infrequently required, although coronary angiography remains mandatory in a selected group of these patients.

Key Words: Valvular heart disease • Doppler ultrasound • cardiac valvular surgery.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.