In patients after atrioventricular septal defect correction, altered geometry leads to a changed position and subsequent flow over the left ventricular outflow tract. We hypothesised that this altered flow may influence haemodynamics in the ascending aorta.

In total, 30 patients after atrioventricular septal defect correction (age 27.6 ± 12.8 years) and 28 healthy volunteers (age 24.8 ± 13.7 years) underwent 4D flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Left ventricular ejection fraction and mean and peak wall shear stress calculated at ascending aortic peak systole were obtained from cardiovascular magnetic resonance. Left ventricular outflow tract data including velocity and diameter were obtained from echocardiography.

Patients showed a higher mean (911 ± 173 versus 703 ± 154 mPa, p = 0.001) and peak ascending aortic wall shear stress (1264 ± 302 versus 1009 ± 240 mPa, p = 0.001) compared to healthy volunteers. Increased blood flow velocities over the left ventricular outflow tract (1.49 ± 0.30 m/s versus 1.22 ± 0.20 m/s, p < 0.001) correlated well with mean and peak ascending aortic wall shear stress (r = 0.67, p < 0.001 and r = 0.77, p < 0.001).

After atrioventricular septal defect correction, increased wall shear stress was observed, which correlated to velocities over the left ventricular outflow tract. These findings imply that altered outflow tract geometry contributes to changed aortic haemodynamics.