Occult right ventricular dysfunction and right ventricular-vascular uncoupling in left ventricular assist device recipients

Background: Detecting right heart failure post left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is challenging. Sensitive pressure-volume loop assessments of right ventricle (RV) contractility may improve our appreciation of post-LVAD RV dysfunction. Methods: Thirteen LVAD patients and 20 reference (non-LVAD) subjects underwent comparison of echocardiographic, right heart cath hemodynamic, and pressure-volume loop-derived assessments of RV contractility using end-systolic elastance (Ees), RV afterload by effective arterial elastance (Ea), and RV-pulmonary arterial coupling (ratio of Ees/Ea). Results: LVAD patients had lower RV Ees (0.20 +/- 0.08 vs 0.30 +/- 0.15 mm Hg/ml, p = 0.01) and lower RV Ees/Ea (0.37 +/- 0.14 vs 1.20 +/- 0.54, p < 0.001) versus reference subjects. Low RV Ees correlated with reduced RV septal strain, an indicator of septal contractility, in both the entire cohort (r = 0.68, p = 0.004) as well as the LVAD cohort itself (r = 0.78, p = 0.02). LVAD recipients with low RV Ees/Ea (below the median value) demonstrated more clinical heart failure (71% vs 17%, p = 0.048), driven by an inability to augment RV Ees (0.22 +/- 0.11 vs 0.19 +/- 0.02 mm Hg/ml, p = 0.95) to accommodate higher RV Ea (0.82 +/- 0.38 vs 0.39 +/- 0.08 mm Hg/ml, p = 0.002). Pulmonary artery pulsatility index (PAPi) best identified low baseline RV Ees/Ea (<= 0.35) in LVAD patients ((area under the curve) AUC = 0.80); during the ramp study, change in PAPi also correlated with change in RV Ees/Ea (r = 0.58, p = 0.04). Conclusions: LVAD patients demonstrate occult intrinsic RV dysfunction. In the setting of excess RV afterload, LVAD patients lack the RV contractile reserve to maintain ventriculo-vascular coupling. Depression in RV contractility may be related to LVAD left ventricular unloading, which reduces septal contractility.