The Changes of Left Atrial Volume and Function in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation before and after Radiofrequency Ablation Using Real-time Three-dimensional Echocardiography
YUAN Lizhi
YAN Yuanyuan
TIAN Yuan
ZHANG Jingli
Abstract：Objective: To observe the changes in left atrial volume and function before and after radiofrequency ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation using real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE), evaluate the surgical efficacy, and analyze the risk factors for recurrence of atrial fibrillation. Methods: Fifty patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation at our hospital were selected and underwent radiofrequency ablation. Postoperative follow-up lasted 3-6 months. According to electrocardiogram results, the patients were divided into a recurrence group (atrial fibrillation recurrence after failed radiofrequency ablation) and a successful group (no recurrence of atrial fibrillation after radiofrequency ablation). Conventional two-dimensional and RT-3DE were used to measure structural parameters of the left atrium [left atrial diameter (LAD), left atrial area (LAA), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), ratio of early diastolic and late diastolic peak flow velocity of the mitral valve (E/A), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left atrial minimum volume at the end of contraction (LAVmin), left atrial maximum volume at the end of diastole (LAVmax), and left atrial volume before active contraction (LAVprep)] and functional parameters [left atrial ejection fraction (LAEF), left atrial active ejection fraction (LAEFa), and left atrial passive ejection fraction (LAEFp)], and their changes were analyzed. Results: Among the 50 patients, 36 were successful (72.0%), and 14 were recurrent (28.0%). The successful group had a higher incidence of stroke history and longer duration of atrial fibrillation compared to the recurrence group, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.001). In the successful group, LAA decreased compared to pre-surgery, with a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). The successful group showed decreases in LAVImax, LAVImin, and LAVIprep, while LAEF, LAEFa, and LAEFp increased compared to pre-surgery. In the recurrence group, LAEFa decreased compared to pre-surgery, with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). Conclusion: RT-3DE can accurately evaluate changes in left atrial structure and function after radiofrequency ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation.
Keywords：atrial fibrillationthree-dimensional echocardiographyradio frequency ablationleft atrial structureleft atrial function
Publication Date：2025-09-25
Online Publishing Date：2025-10-14(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：3( 2825-2827 )