Abstract
In patients with ischemic heart disease, impairment of left ventricular diastolic function commonly occurs before systolic dysfunction [(1)]. Diastolic dysfunction presents as a range of severity from mild, with little clinical effect, to severe. Once the delicate hemodynamic balance is tipped, diastolic dysfunction can precipitate Diastolic Heart Failure (DHF). This form of cardiac failure remains under recognized in the postoperative setting, as the clinical features are similar to systolic cardiac failure allowing for a misdiagnosis [(2)].
It is therefore important to make the distinction between these two forms of heart failure as their management is different. Risk factors for DHF include hypertension, female gender elderly patients, increased left ventricular mass, diabetes, obesity, and ischemic heart disease [(3)]. The diagnostic criteria for diastolic heart failure in the postoperative heart have been described [(4)]. Diastolic heart failure can complicate the postoperative course therefore, its recognition is crucial for appropriate care.