From Left Atrial Dimension to Curved M-Mode Speckle-Tracking Images: Role of Echocardiography in Evaluating Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Usefulness of left atrial speckle-tracking echocardiography in patients with atrial fibrillation

Association between left atrial function assessed by speckle-tracking echocardiography and the presence of left atrial appendage thrombus in patients with atrial fibrillation

OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to investigate whether the deformation of left atrium (LA) measured by speckle-tracking analysis (STE) is associated with the presence of LA appendage thrombus (LAAT) during non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS Eighty-seven patients (mean age 67 years, 59% men) were included to retrospective cross-sectional study. On top of standard echocardiograph...

Atrial Function Assessed by Speckle Tracking Echocardiography Is a Good Predictor of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in Elderly Patients.

OBJECTIVE Advanced age is an independent predictor of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. We evaluated whether left atrial (LA) dysfunction assessed by strain contributes to identifying elderly patients prone to POAF. METHODS Case-control study of 70 subjects undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery. Clinical and laboratory characte...

radiofrequency atrial fibrillation ablation technique in patients with mitral valve surgery and left atrial reduction procedures

background: about half of all patients who undergo mitral valve surgery suffer from atrial fibrillation (af). cox described the surgical cut-and-sew maze procedure, which is an effective surgical method but has some complications. this study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of a substitution method of radiofrequency ablation (rfa) for patients undergoing mitral valve surgery with af. metho...

Determinants of Left Atrial Volume in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

INTRODUCTION Left atrial (LA) enlargement is an important risk factor for incident stroke and a key determinant for the success of rhythm control strategies in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, factors associated with LA volume in AF patients remain poorly understood. METHODS Patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF were enrolled in this study. Real time 3-D echocardiography w...