Report from SCMR: Cardiac MR identifies patients who require aortic valve surgery

February 15, 2008 Report from SCMR: Cardiac MR identifies patients who require aortic valve surgery James Brice -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Oxford University researchers have established that aortic regurgitation fraction, measured with cardiac MR, accurately singles out patients who need aortic valve replacement surgery. Patients with aortic regurgitation pose a challenge, especially when they are asymptomatic, said Dr. Saul G. Myerson, during the opening session of the 2008 Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance meeting in Los Angeles. Physicians have traditionally relied on physical signs and symptoms to guide surgical decision making. For some patients, measurements of excess left ventricular dilation or dysfunction are appropriate, but they force the clinician into a balancing act. Left untreated, severe LV dilation can lead to death in some patients, while it has no effect for years on many others.

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