Early haemodynamic effects of mitral valve prosthesis in patients with acquired heart disease.

42 patients with isolated mitral valve defect were divided into two groups: without cardiac complications -- and with acute myogenic heart failure, after implantation of a mitral valve prosthesis. In the first postoperative hours, a decrease in cardiac output and pulmonary hypertension were observed in both groups. By the end of the 1st postoperative day, cardiac output reached in both groups the initial level, but in patients of group 2 only thanks to catecholamine administration. The poor functional state of the heart before surgery is consequently the main cause of the fact that surgical intervention is not immediately followed by normalization of haemodynamics. Acute heart failure occurs in the early postoperative period in patients with an extremely impaired left ventricular pump function and with depleted myocardial reserves. In these patients, special attention must be given during surgery to myocardial protection.