The evaluation of diastolic function using the diastolic wall strain (DWS) before and after radical surgery for congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Objective The measurement of diastolic wall strain (DWS), a new method of evaluating cardiac diastolic function, was employed to evaluate ventricular diastolic function in patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Materials and methods Eighteen neonates with a CDH who were born and treated in our hospital between September 2009 and January 2013 were studied. The left ventricular posterior wall thickness during the systolic phase (PWs) and diastolic (PWd) phase was measured using M-mode imaging, and the DWS was calculated as (PWs–PWd)/PWs. The Tei index, the isovolumic relaxation time (IRT), and the fraction shortening (FS) were measured as indices of cardiac function in 14, 15, and 18 cases, respectively. Cardiac function was measured before and after surgery. Statistical analyses were performed using the paired t test. Results The pre- and postoperative DWS, Tei index, IRT and FS values were 0.19 ± 0.06 and 0.26 ± 0.11 ( P < 0.01), 0.40 ± 0.12 and 0.31 ± 0.11 ( P < 0.05), 48 ± 14 and 39 ± 5.0 ms ( P < 0.05), 30 ± 7.7 and 34 ± 7.4 % ( P < 0.05), respectively. Conclusion The diastolic and systolic functions were not only measured by the Tei index, IRT and FS values, but also by the DWS value, which improved after surgery. The measurement of DWS is an easy and useful method for evaluating the diastolic function of CDH patients.