Mitral stenosis in patient undergoing vascular surgery: prediction of perioperative hemodynamics by dobutamine stress-echocardiography.

Patient was admitted for endarterectomy of the left internal carotid artery. Echocardiography showed mitral stenosis with mitral valve area of 1.4 cm2. Since the patient's functional capacity could not be determined due to left-sided hemiplegia, it was decided to perform high-dose dobutamine stress-echocardiography in order to assess the patient's hemodynamics during stress. Gradients over mitral valve increased from 32/10 mmHg at baseline to 43/16 mmHg at 40 mcg/kg/min dobutamine infusion. Preoperative and 24 hour perioperative hemodynamic variables were monitored by Swan-Ganz catheter, and their values did not change significantly as compared to baseline. Postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on the fifth postoperative day.