Seventy-six healthy adults and 228 patients with aortic valve disease were studied by means of two-dimensional echocardiography (2D-EchoCG). Functional properties of the left ventricle in patients with aortic valve disease were studied by means of computer analysis of echocardiograms and patients requiring cardiac surgery were identified. It was found that an increased left ventricular (LV) end-systolic volume (110 ml and more), assessed by 2D-EchoCG, is an unfavourable prognostic sign, and elevated risk factor of cardiac surgery. It invariably proved to be related to LV dysfunction after the surgery. A decreased diastolic LV mass/volume ratio (1.255 and less), found in 16% of patients with pressure overload, means nonadequate development of hypertrophy and an elevated risk of cardiac surgery.