Assessment of right ventricular function in patients after coronary artery bypass graft: a single center study

Right ventricular dysfunction is a major risk factor in coronary artery disease. In patients undergoing revascularization for left ventricular ischemia, the incidence of RVD is reported in about 20%. This study aimed to assess right ventricular function as a possible risk factor in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft. This prospective study was conducted on 77 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. All cases were subjected to detailed medical history, full physical examination, electrocardiogram, routine laboratory tests including echocardiography or STE, and all parameters obtained before, within one week, and six months after surgery. Though LVEF preoperatively was comparable between the two study groups, LVEF one-week postoperatively was significantly lower in the RVD group compared to non RVD group; at the same time, there was a significant reduction in LVEF in both groups one week postoperatively compared to preoperatively, and this was more obvious in RVD group compared to non RVD group. Moreover, RVD developed shortly after CABG in less than one-third of our study population, but it recovered in most of them soon at the 6-month follow-up visit. It is suggested that in the early days after the CABG surgery, there is a decline in right ventricular function, which is relatively reversible at longer intervals (6 months after surgery). The right ventricular global longitudinal strain is a reliable way to address RVD.