Mid-Term Follow-Up of Global Longitudinal Strain After Aortic Valve Repair in Severe Aortic Regurgitation

All articles of this category (opens in new window) Background: Aortic regurgitation (AR) leads to progressive left ventricular remodeling and dysfunction, making the timing of surgery critical. Conventional echocardiographic parameters, such as left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF) and ventricular diameters (LVEDD, LVESD), can fail to detect early LV dysfunction. LV global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) allows early detection of subclinical impairment and may help to refine patient selection for surgery. In this study, we evaluated the prognostic value of LV-GLS compared to conventional echocardiographic parameters in the long-term follow-up after aortic valve repair (AVr). Methods: A total of 78 patients undergoing AVr for AR between 2016 and 2024 and who had serial transthoracic echocardiographies, including speckle tracking echocardiography, of good quality at baseline, postoperatively, 1-year follow-up (FU), and additional mid-term follow-up were included in the study. Mean FU was 49 ± 25 months. LV-GLS and conventional parameters were analyzed over time. Subgroup analyses included LV-GLS at baseline (>−18% (impaired) vs. ≤ −18% (not-impaired)), NYHA status (asymptomatic: NYHA = I vs. symptomatic NYHA ≥ II), and LVEF at last FU (≥50% vs.