Effects of transcatheter aortic valve implantation on left ventricular mass and global longitudinal strain: tissue Doppler and strain evaluation

INTRODUCTION Transcatheter aortic valve implantation is the option of choice for high surgical risk patients suffering from symptomatic aortic stenosis. We aimed to evaluate the influence of baseline global longitudinal strain on left ventricular mass regression after the procedure. METHODS We enrolled 23 patients with pure symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who underwent CoreValve prosthesis (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) implantation. Everyone had echocardiography registration before the procedure and after six months in order to analyze two-, three-, and four-chamber peak longitudinal strain and global longitudinal strain. RESULTS After the procedure New York Heart Association class, peak and mean aortic valve gradients (p<0.001 for all) improved. Interventricular septum and posterior wall thicknesses decreased (p<0.001 for both). Moreover, left ventricular mass index for body surface area changed from 190±44 to 143±30 g/m(2), (p<0.001). Finally, global longitudinal strain significantly increased (from 9.4±0.9 to 11.5±0.8%; p<0.001), as well as its components. Baseline global longitudinal strain correlated with left ventricular mass regression (r=0.560; p=0.005; 2-sided) and predicted it at linear regression analysis (B=23.707; p=0.005; adjusted R(2)=0.281). CONCLUSIONS Global longitudinal strain and its components improved six months after the procedure. Moreover, baseline global longitudinal strain seemed to predict left ventricular mass regression in patients with pure aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation. This finding could be related to the extent of myocardial fibrosis which is also responsible for lack of left ventricular mass regression and poorer prognosis.