ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: No data exist on regarding possible improvement will occur in right ventricular
(RV) functions after successful recanalization of right coronary artery chronic total occlusions
(RCA CTOs). AIM:Our aim was to evaluate the revascularization induced changes in RV functions by novel
echocardiographic techniques like tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and two dimensional speckle
tracking echocardiography (2DSTE). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty-one consecutive successfully recanalized patients with
RCA CTOs were included in our study. All included patients underwent standard
echocardiography with TDI and 2DSTE to assess RV function before procedure and repeated after
24 hours and 1 month. RESULTS:There were no significant changes in tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion,
systolic myocardial velocities, and fractional area change values. However, RV global longitudinal
strain and systolic strain rate values showed a significant increase at 24 hours after percutaneous
coronary intervention compared to baseline (-23.6±4.1% vs. -19.7±3.9%, p < 0.001 and -
1.55±0.18s-1 vs. -1.18±0.17s-1, p < 0.001, respectively). Moreover, improvement of the RV
functions in patients with RCA CTOs was further suggested by the higher RV isovolumic
acceleration values at 1-month compared with baseline (2.29±0.62 vs. 2.05±0.5 m/s2, p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: TDI derived isovolumic acceleration and 2DSTE derived global longitudinal
strain and systolic strain rate values showed improvement in RV functions after successful
percutaneous recanalization of RCACTOs suggesting viability of RV in chronic ischemia.