Negative right ventricular diastolic pressure after operation for pulmonary valve stenosis: the phenomenon and its relation to volume load and conal contraction.

The phenomenon of negative right ventricular diastolic pressure immediately after operation for relief of isolated pulmonary valve stenosis was investigated in 11 patients. Pressures in the right ventricle and pulmonary artery were measured with a catheter tip micromanometer. One patient had a negative right ventricular diastolic pressure before operation. At the end of operation right ventricular diastolic pressure was negative in all 11 patients. The greater the right ventricular hypertrophy, the lower were these diastolic pressures. Negative right ventricular diastolic pressure is thus common in patients after pulmonary valvotomy, but fluid administration may eliminate it. Negative right ventricular diastolic pressure may be the result of hypercontraction and reduced volume of the hypertrophied right ventricle after relief of right ventricular outflow tract obstruction.