Therapy with phentolamine can improve the condition of patients with congestive heart failure due to the inotropic effect of this drug as well as its vasodilating action. Therefore, 8 patients with volume-overloaded left ventricles due to aortic insufficiency and mitral insufficiency received 50 mg of phentolamine 4 times a day for 2 weeks. Peak and end systolic wall stress were estimated using a noninvasive echocardiographic technique. The peak systolic wall stress in this group was 133 X 10(3) dynes/sq cm, which is similar to the reported normal value. However, the end systolic wall stress was 89 X 19(3) dynes/sq cm, which is much higher than the reported normal values. After PO administration of phentolamine, the end systolic stress was normalized while the peak systolic stress was reduced below normal. As a result of therapy with phentolamine, the ejection fraction, the percentage of change in the minor axis, and the velocity of circumferential fiber shortening significantly increased. Thus, PO administration of phentolamine can improve left ventricular function in patients with mitral insufficiency and aortic insufficiency.