Analysis of the Effectiveness of STE in Assessing Left Atrial Function in Heart Transplant Patients Postoperatively

Li Banban; Guo Xiaoqing; Yu Huijuan

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1004-5775.2026.05.009

Abstract：Objective:To investigate the efficacy of speckle tracking echocardiography(STE)in assessing short-and long-term left atrial function in heart transplant(HT)patients.Methods:A total of 80 patients who underwent HT at Zhengzhou Seventh People's Hospital between January 2020 and December 2022 and completed follow-up were selected as the experimental group.Fifty healthy individuals who voluntarily participated in the study during the same period were selected as the control group.Echocardiograms of patients in the experimental group were analyzed at 1,6,12,and 24 months post-surgery.It measured left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVEDD),interventricular septal thickness(IVST),left ventricular posterior wall thickness(LVPWT),left atrial anteroposterior diameter(LAD),tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion(TAPSE),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),and ratio of early diastolic blood flow velocity(E wave)and late peak blood flow velocity(A wave)(E/A)and E wave and early diastolic mitral annular motion velocity(e wave)(E/e).Left atrial maximum volume(LAVmax),pre-atrial contraction volume(LAVp),and minimum volume(LAVmin)were obtained,and total emptying fraction(LAtEF),passive emptying fraction(LApEF),and active emptying fraction(LAaEF)were calculated.Additionally,the mitral valve orifice diastolic E wave and A wave,e wave,peak left atrial strain during ventricular systole(LAS-S),left atrial strain during atrial contraction(LAS-A),mean peak systolic strain rate(mSRs),mean peak early diastolic strain rate(mSRe),and mean peak late diastolic strain rate(mSRa)were acquired.Results:Compared with the control group,the experimental group exhibited significantly higher LAD levels at 1,6,12,and 24 months postoperatively,significantly lower LVEDD levels at 1,6,and 24 months postoperatively,and significantly higher I VST,LVPWT,mSRs,and mSRe levels at 1,6,and 12 months postoperatively,LVEF,TAPSE,LAS-S,LAS-A,mSRa,LAtEF,LApEF,and LAaEF levels were significantly lower at 1,6,12,and 24 months postoperatively,while LAVmax,LAVmin,and LAVp levels were significantly higher at these time points,with all differences statistically significant(P＜0.05).Conclusion:STE demonstrates certain value in evaluating both short-and long-term left atrial function in patients with HT following surgery,with left atrial function recovering over time postoperatively.