In this state-of-the-art review review, the authors summarize current knowledge of anatomic, structural, metabolic, functional, and hemodynamic characteristics of the right ventricle (RV) in both health and disease. Highlights of this review are:
Anatomically and functionally different from the left ventricle, the RV plays an increasingly recognized role in determining both symptoms and outcomes in multiple conditions.
The normal RV is coupled to the low-pressure, high-compliance pulmonary circulation to ensure transfer of blood to the pulmonary arteries in an energy-efficient fashion. RV adaptation to disease is determined by the degree of pressure overload, volume overload, and alterations in intrinsic contractility. These 3 situations have distinct clinical course and therapeutic approach although they commonly coexist in various degrees.
Advances promise to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms of RV adaptation or maladaptation to pathologic conditions. These include refinements in the evaluation of RV anatomy, myoarchitecture, ultrastructure, metabolism, perfusion, function, and degree of coupling to the pulmonary circulation. Such evaluation can be performed invasively but increasingly is accomplished through noninvasive imaging.
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Great article, this is perhaps one of the most critical aera’s for cv specialist’s to gain a better understanding. as a surgeon I am confronted with the following dilemma. How do you seperate right heart failure with co existing structural left heart problems. This is a problem i have confronted over the past 10 years with TAVR. we have performed TAVR in pts with critical symptomatic aortic stenosis, but there is a cohort of pts who are morbidly obese with sleep apnea, or who have end stage pulmonary disease. What to do ? Will TAVR help? The answer is not clear and our institutional experience in over 800 cases is as clear as “mud”