Assessing Left Atrial Appendage Functions by Transesophageal Echocardiography and Speckle Tracking Imaging to Predict Recurring Atrial Fibrillation Post‐Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation

ABSTRACT Objective To predict recurring atrial fibrillation (AF) following radiofrequency catheter ablation by assessing the attributes of the left atrium and the left atrial (LA) appendage (LAA) using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and speckle tracking imaging. Methods The structural and functional indices of the LA and LAA of 80 patients with AF who underwent preoperative transthoracic echocardiography and TEE were measured. Recurrence was recorded postoperatively at 3, 6, and 12 months. The independent determinants of recurring AF were identified by logistic regression, and their optimum cutoff values, sensitivity, and specificity were estimated from the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results The recurrent and nonrecurrent groups comprised 17 and 63 patients, respectively. The LA internal diameter, LA end‐diastolic and end‐systolic volumes, LAA length, diameter and area of the opening of the LAA, and LAA end‐diastolic volume were higher in the recurrent group. The LA strain in the reservoir phase, the ejection fraction and filling velocity of the LAA, the LAA emptying velocity (LAAeV), and the LAA strain (LAAS) reduced considerably. Multifactorial regression analyses demonstrated that the LAAeV and LAAS were independent determinants of recurring AF. ROC curve analysis revealed that the LAAeV and LAAS predicted postoperative recurrence at 34.5 cm/s (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.954, sensitivity: 94.1%, and specificity: 92.1%) and 11.61% (AUC: 0.925, sensitivity: 82.4%, and specificity: 95.2%), respectively, while the AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of the combined predictors (LAAeV + LAAS) were 0.978, 94.1%, and 93.7%, respectively. Conclusion The LAAeV and LAAS independently influenced the postoperative recurrence of AF.