Analysis of right ventricular Doppler tissue imaging and load dependence in patients undergoing percutaneous closure of atrial septal defect.

In patients with volume overload due to atrial septal defect (ASD) and Doppler tissue imaging E'/A' <1 at baseline, right ventricular (RV) myocardial velocities show load independence after closure with a device. Conversely, in patients with ASD with basal E'/A' >1, regional velocities are load-dependent and positively correlate with RV dimension. Because RV Doppler tissue imaging velocities are still in the normal range 1 month after ASD closure, cardiac function does not seem to be affected by the presence of the occluder device.