Aortic stenosis

Grading severity

Just memorize the moderate cutoffs (25 to 40mmHg), anything below is mild, above is severe

  • thickened LV caused by pushing against a fixed outlet
  • CPP = DBP - LVEDP
  • Avoid hypotension: hypertrophied LV means increased LVEDP, higher O2 demand
  • Avoid bradycardia: essentially “fixed” SV → CO is HR dependent → slow HR siginficantly reduces CO
  • Avoid Tachycardia: Tachycardia inreases oxygen demand, shortens diastole (when LV is perfused) → decr coronary perfusion pressure
  • Pressor of choice: Phenylephrine → for incr BP and relative bradycardia

Aortic regurgitation

  • Regurgitation happens during diastole, when the AV should be closed
  • Relative tachycardia: incr HR → decr time in diastole → minimize regurgitation
  • Improve forward flow and decr LVEDP with vasodilators, decr SVR
  • Induction goals: maintain relative tachycardia and incr DBP to maintain CPP
  • Pressor of choice: Epi or Norepi

Mitral stenosis

Almost always rheumatic in origin. Incr left atrial pressure may cause AFib and pulmonary edema

  • Elevated LA pressure → incr pulmonary venous pressure and PVR → pHTN → TR, RV failure

  • Avoid tachycardia: MS → less LV filling for a given time → tachycardia shorter diastole → less filling → decr CO

    • Continue any digoxin, CCB, BB perioperatively
    • chemically or electrically cardiovert any AFib
  • Avoid pHTN: O2, hypocarbia, alkalosis, nitrates, veletri/iNO all decr PVR

  • Hypotension: may indicate RV failure and/or need for inotropes or pulmonary vasodilators

Mitral regurgitation

Caused by mitral valve prolapse (myxomatous degeneration), ischemic heart disease, pap rupture

  • MR allows blood to backflow from LV to LA during systole, EF usually overestimated as regurgitant fraction not accounted for
  • Relative tachycardia: is desirable to decr ventricular filling time
  • Afterload reduction: incr SVR → worsens regurg causing more regurg as LA lower resistance
  • Maintain preload: Very preload dependent as SV only partially ejected