Echocardiographic Assessment of Perioperative Right and Left Ventricular Function

Abstract

The perioperative quantification of left and right ventricular function is cornerstone to provide optimal patient care. Echocardiography has emerged as the most important cardiac imaging modality in this setting, mainly due to its rapid availability, non-invasiveness and cost-efficiency. Both the transthoracic and the transesophageal acoustic windows offer manifold modes, e.g., doppler-based measurements or M-mode display, to assess systolic and diastolic ventricular function. An association with patient outcome and corresponding prognostic implications could be demonstrated for the majority of those parameters. Hence, a profound understanding of these measurements is key to delineate sufficient from failing left or right ventricular function and guide treatment decisions. This article gives the reader an overview over the most important measurements, reference values and pitfalls.