Right ventricular performance at rest and during stress with chronic proximal occlusion of the right coronary artery

Acute proximal right coronary artery (RCA) occlusion results in profound right ventricular (RV) ischemic dysfunction; however, chronic RV dysfunction at rest from persistent RCA occlusion is rare. We studied the responses of the right ventricle to exercise in patients with chronic proximal RCA occlusion, demonstrating preserved RV free wall motion and appropriate augmentation of ejection fraction in nearly all cases.