The Novel Use of Mechanical Circulatory Support to Demonstrate Pulmonary Hypertension Reversibility in Mitral Stenosis

A 56-year-old female with a history of rheumatic mitral stenosis presented with severe pulmonary edema. Transthoracic echocardiogram demonstrated severe MS (mean valve area .5 cm2, mean gradient of 16 mmHg) with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. Right heart catheterization demonstrated elevated pulmonary artery (PA) pressures of 110/80 mmHg and a wedge pressure of 40 mmHg. Mechanical circulatory support (MCS) was initiated with extracorporeal left atrial to femoral artery bypass. MCS allowed preoperative unloading of the left atrium. The volume status and lung congestion were optimized before surgery. In addition, pulmonary hypertension reversibility was demonstrated with significantly lower PA pressures after initiation of MCS. Intraoperatively, the MCS left atrial inflow cannula was pulled back into the right heart and used as a venous cannula for cardiopulmonary bypass. Successful mitral valve replacement was performed. Postoperatively, the mitral valve mean gradient was 3 mmHg.