Hydraulic forces assist left ventricular filling in aortic stenosis and improve after valve replacement in patients with less severe baseline left ventricular remodeling

Abstract

Background: Diastolic dysfunction in the setting of aortic stenosis (AS) before and following aortic valve replacement (AVR) is incompletely understood, with diastolic function improving in some individuals following AVR and not others (1)(2). The contribution of hydraulic force to left ventricular filling is yet to be assessed in individuals with AS before and after AVR. The aim of this study was to assess the atrioventricular area difference (AVAD) (3) as a surrogate for the net hydraulic force of left ventricular filling in a cohort of participants with severe symptomatic AS before and 1-year after AVR.