Pulmonary Valve Replacement Improves But Does Not Normalize Right Ventricular Mechanics in Repaired Congenital Heart Disease: A Comparative Assessment Using Velocity Vector Imaging

Regional RV mechanics using VVI in a relatively young cohort shows mild improvement after PVR, but the RV is not normalized despite physiologic improvement in loading conditions. This suggests intrinsic dysfunction or chronic myocardial injury that is nonmodifiable or requires earlier intervention to optimize physiology. VVI appears to be a potentially useful quantitative tool for follow-up evaluation of RV performance after congenital heart disease surgery.