Right Heart Failure

Right heart failure is a condition that arises when the right ventricle cannot efficiently pump deoxygenated blood to the lungs for oxygenation before it returns to the left side of the heart to supply the rest of the body. Right ventricular failure (RVF) often accompanies left ventricular failure (LVF), though these disease entities are distinct. The right ventricle differs structurally from the left ventricle and is vulnerable to various disease processes. While RVF has multiple causes, the most common is LVF, which increases pulmonary vascular pressure, leading to pressure or volume overload in the right ventricle.

This activity examines the right ventricle's normal structure and function. The pathophysiology and the medical and surgical management of RVF will also be reviewed.