title: Short-term effects of transcatheter aortic valve implantation on left atrial appendage function.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The beneficial effects of the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) on echocardiographic parameters including left atrial (LA) and left ventricular (LV) functions were described by previous studies. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of TAVI on left atrial appendage (LAA) function assessed by transthoracic and transesophageal echocar-diography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis were included in this prospective study. LAA early and late emptying velocities, LAA filling velocity, peak early diastolic (EM), late diastolic (AM), and systolic (SM) velocities were measured with pulsed wave Doppler and tissue Doppler imaging, and E/Em ratio was calculated before and 7.1 ± 2.8 days after TAVI. A subgroup analysis was performed in accordance with the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of the patients and the severity of their LV diastolic dysfunction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the post-procedure peaks and mean gradients of the patients decreased sig-nificantly, the LVEF increased significantly in those who had low LVEF before the procedure. The post-procedure E/Em ratio decreased significantly (p < 0.001). The post-procedural LAA mean filling velocity and EM velocity were significantly higher than the pre-procedural filling velocity (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, respectively). In the subgroup analysis, the post-procedural LAA filling velocity, early and late LAA emptying velocities, in addition to the mean velocity of the EM, AM, and SM were significantly higher than before the procedure in patients with LVEF of < 50% and E/Em ratios of > 15.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LAA function improved soon after the TAVI procedure, especially in patients with low LVEF and marked LV diastolic dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Mehmet Akif Ersoy Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. serkanaslan84@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aslan
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gul
authors.forename: Huseyin Altug
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Cakmak
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: Muhammet Hulusi
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Satilmisoglu
authors.forename: Safa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gode
authors.forename: Omer
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tasbulak
authors.forename: Aydin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yildirim
authors.forename: Ihsan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bakir
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
keywords: echocardiography; left atrial appendage; transcatheter aortic valve implantation