Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

On the Left Ventricular Vortex Reversal after Mitral Valve Replacement

  • Published:
Annals of Biomedical Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The blood flow in the human left ventricle is known to develop a vortical motion that should facilitate the ejection of blood into the primary circulation. This study shows that such a rotary motion can be totally reversed after the implant of a prosthetic valve. This phenomenon, in agreement with clinical observation, appears mostly imputable to the symmetry of the implant. The reversed rotation increases energy dissipation and modifies the pressure distribution with the potential development of new pathologies. The results provide preliminary, physically based, elements for the improvement of surgical procedures or prosthesis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4

References

  1. Daebritz, S. H., J. S. Sachweh, B. Hermanns, B. Fausten, A. Franke, J. Groetzner, B. Klosterhalfen, and B. J. Messmer. Introduction of a flexible polymeric heart valve prosthesis with special design for mitral position. Circulation 108II:134–139, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Domenichini, F. On the consistency of the direct forcing method in the fractional step solution of the Navier-Stokes equations. J. Comp. Phys. 227:6372–6384, 2008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Domenichini, F., G. Pedrizzetti, and B. Baccani. Three-dimensional filling flow into a model left ventricle. J. Fluid Mech. 539:179–198, 2005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Gharib, M., E. Rambod, A. Kheradvar, D. J. Sahn, and J. O. Dabiri. Optimal vortex formation as an index of cardiac health. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 109:6205–6308, 2006.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hong, G. R., G. Pedrizzetti, G. Tonti, P. Li, P. Wei, J. K. Kim, A. Bawela, S. Liu, N. Chung, H. Houle, J. Narula, and M. A. Vannan. Characterization and quantification of vortex flow in the human left ventricle by contrast echocardiography using vector particle image velocimetry. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. Imaging 1:705–717, 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kheradvar, A., H. Houle, G. Pedrizzetti, G. Tonti, T. Belcik, M. Ashraf, J. R. Lindner, M. Gharib, and D. Sahn. Echographic particle image velocimetry: a novel technique for quantification of left ventricular blood vorticity pattern. J. Am. Soc. Echocardiogr. 2009. doi:10.1016/j.echo.2009.09.007.

  7. Kilner, P. J., G. Z. Yang, A. J. Wilkes, R. H. Mohiaddin, D. N. Firmin, and M. H. Yacoub. Asymmetric redirection of flow through the heart. Nature 404:759–761, 2000.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Machler, H., M. Perthel, G. Reiter, U. Reiter, M. Zink, P. Bergmann, A. Waltensdorfer, and J. Laas. Influence of bileaflet prosthetic mitral valve orientation on left ventricular flow—an experimental in vivo magnetic resonance imaging study. Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg. 26:747–753, 2004.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Narula, J., M. A. Vannan, and A. N. De Maria. Of that waltz in my heart. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol. 49:917–920, 2007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Pedrizzetti, G., and F. Domenichini. Nature optimizes the swirling flow in the human left ventricle. PRL 95:1080101, 2005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. D.I.C.A., University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy

    Gianni Pedrizzetti

  2. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Firenze, Firenze, Italy

    Federico Domenichini

  3. SS. Annunziata Hospital, Sulmona, AQ, Italy

    Giovanni Tonti

Authors
  1. Gianni Pedrizzetti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Federico Domenichini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Giovanni Tonti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gianni Pedrizzetti.

Additional information

Associate Editor Julia E. Babensee oversaw the review of this article.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pedrizzetti, G., Domenichini, F. & Tonti, G. On the Left Ventricular Vortex Reversal after Mitral Valve Replacement. Ann Biomed Eng 38, 769–773 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-010-9928-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-010-9928-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation