We studied 32 HT patients (54 ¡À 24 months after HT), 34 other cardiac surgery (CS) patients and compared them with 35 health controls using speckle tracking echocardiography, measuring peak twist angle, time-to-peak twist, and untwist rate.
LV twist angle was smaller in the HT group (6.2 ¡À 3.3¡ã) in comparison with the CS group and controls (13.2 ¡À 3.5¡ã and 13.1 ¡À 4.5¡ã, respectively; p < 0.0001 for all) and untwist rate was reduced (HT group: ? 74 ¡À 30¡ã/s; CS group: ? 118 ¡À 43¡ã/s; controls: ? 116 ¡À 39¡ã/s; p < 0.0001 for all). Time-to-peak twist was not different between groups. Time after HT was the main independent predictor of both LV twist angle and untwist rate (¦Â = 0.8, p < 0.0001).
Though clinically stable, LV twist dynamics are significantly impaired in HT recipients, even in comparison with patients who underwent other cardiac surgery.