Abstract

Background: Lung resection has been shown to impair right ventricular function. Although conventional measures of afterload do not change, surgical ligation of a pulmonary artery branch, as occurs during lobectomy, can create a unilateral proximal reflection site, increasing wave reflection (pulsatile component of afterload) and diverting blood flow through the contralateral pulmonary artery. We present a cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) observational cohort study of changes in wave reflection and right ventricular function after lung resection. Methods: Twenty-seven patients scheduled for open lobectomy for suspected lung cancer underwent cardiovascular MRI preoperatively, on postoperative Day 2, and at 2 months. Wave reflection was assessed in the left and right pulmonary arteries (operative and non-operative, as appropriate) by wave intensity analysis and calculation of wave reflection index. Pulmonary artery blood flow distribution was calculated as percentage of total blood flow travelling in the non-operative pulmonary artery. Right ventricular function was assessed by ejection fraction and strain analysis. Results: Operative pulmonary artery wave reflection increased from 4.3 (2.1–8.8) % pre-operatively to 9.5 (4.9–14.9) % on postoperative Day 2 and 8.0 (2.3–11.7) % at 2 months (P<0.001) with an associated redistribution of blood flow towards the non-operative pulmonary artery (r>0.523; P<0.010). On postoperative Day 2, impaired right ventricular ejection fraction was associated with increased operative pulmonary artery wave reflection (r=–0.480; P=0.028) and pulmonary artery blood flow redistribution (r=–0.545; P=0.011). At 2 months, impaired right ventricular ejection fraction and right ventricular strain were associated with pulmonary artery blood flow redistribution (r=–0.634, P=0.002; r=0.540, P=0.017). Conclusions: Pulsatile afterload increased after lung resection. The unilateral increase in operative pulmonary artery wave reflection resulted in redistribution of blood flow through the non-operative pulmonary artery and was associated with right ventricular dysfunction. Clinical trial registration: NCT01892800.