title: [Functional assessment of the left atrial appendage with transesophageal echocardiography before and after percutaneous valvotomy in the mitral stenosis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of the relief of the mitral stenosis by percutaneous ballon valvotomy in the function of the left atrial appendage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients with symptomatic mitral stenosis, in sinus rhythm, were studied. They were submitted to the transesophageal echocardiogram before and after effective percutaneous ballon valvotomy. Concerning the left atrial appendage, the peak flow velocities and the respective integral of the anterograde and retrograde flow, in addition to the ejection fraction calculated through the planimetry of the area of that structure, were analyzed at the pulsatile Doppler.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a significant increase of the anterograde flow velocity of the left atrial appendage after percutaneous ballon valvotomy (pre: mean of 0.30 m/s; post: mean of 0.47 m/s; p<0.05) and their respective integrals. The same happened with the retrograde flow velocity (pre: mean of 0.35 m/s, post: mean of 0.53 m/s; p<0.05). There was a tendency of increase of the ejection fraction of the left atrial appendage after the procedure (pre: mean of 20%, post: mean of 31%; p=0.08).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The effective opening of the stenosed mitral orifice resulting from the percutaneous ballon valvotomy determined an improvement of the flow pattern of the left atrial appendage, which can potentially contribute for the reduction of the embolic risk.
authors: Universidade Federal de São Paulo--UNIFESP, São Paulo, Brazil. sbtatani@cardiol.br
authors: Solange Bernardes
authors: SB
authors: Tatani
authors: Orlando
authors: O
authors: Campos Filho
authors: Claudio Henrique
authors: CH
authors: Fischer
authors: Valdir Ambrósio
authors: VA
authors: Moisés
authors: José Augusto Marcondes de
authors: JA
authors: Souza
authors: Cláudia Maria Rodrigues
authors: CM
authors: Alves
authors: Angelo Amato Vincenzo de
authors: AA
authors: Paola
authors: Antonio Carlos C
authors: AC
authors: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016279:Atrial Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D002404:Catheterization; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*