Figure 4.

RV contractility, afterload, and coupling as a function of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) speed. In LVAD patients with poor right ventricle-pulmonary arterial coupling, further increases in speed did reduce afterload but also reduced intrinsic RV contractility (Ees) more significantly than in patients with preserved coupling. As a result, poorly coupled patients saw a further decline in right ventricle-pulmonary arterial coupling at higher LVAD speeds (interaction p = 0.02). Ea, effective arterial elastance; Ees, end-systolic elastance; RV, right ventricle.