Dicrotic pulse after open heart surgery.

Pre- and postoperative echophonocardiograms (EPCGs) and preoperative hemodynamic data of 108 patients who underwent valve replacement were reviewed to establish the frequency and significance of a dicrotic pulse (DP) postoperatively. DP occurred almost exclusively in patients who underwent valve replacement for regurgitant lesions (20 of 28 with aortic regurgitation, nine of 25 with mitral regurgitation, and four of six with both aortic and mitral regurgitation). These patients were divided into dicrotic and nondicrotic groups. Preoperatively, the dicrotic group had significantly larger end-diastolic volumes (p < 0.01) and end-systolic volumes (p < 0.01) and significantly lower ejection fractions (p < 0.01). Echocardiographically, the dicrotic group had larger left ventricular dimensions, both systolic (p < 0.01) and diastolic (p < 0.05), reduced percentage fractional shortening of the left ventricular cavity (p < 0.01) and poor thickening properties of the left ventricular posterior wall (% delta Th-LVPW) (p < 0.01). Postoperatively the dicrotic group had a slightly larger end-diastolic dimension (p = NS) and markedly depressed % delta Th-LVPW (p < 0.001) compared with the nondicrotic group. On follow-up EPCG the persistence of a DP correlated with continued left ventricular dysfunction by echocardiographic and hemodynamic studies and an extremely poor clinical course. DP after valve replacement is therefore an important prognostic sign.