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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
08:10

Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

Published on: July 20, 2022

Left ventricular systolic dysfunction by itself does not influence outcome of atrial fibrillation ablation

Tom De Potter1, Antonio Berruezo, Lluis Mont

  • 1Cardiology Department, Arrhythmia Section, Thorax Institute, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Villarroel 170, 08036 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Europace : European Pacing, Arrhythmias, and Cardiac Electrophysiology : Journal of the Working Groups on Cardiac Pacing, Arrhythmias, and Cardiac Cellular Electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology
|November 3, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) does not predict atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation success. Left atrial diameter independently correlates with AF recurrence after ablation, regardless of LVEF.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Electrophysiology
  • Cardiac Surgery

Background:

  • Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation is a common treatment for managing cardiac arrhythmias.
  • Predicting recurrence after AF ablation is crucial for patient selection and management.
  • The impact of left ventricular systolic dysfunction on AF ablation outcomes requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the influence of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) on the outcomes of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation after a first procedure.
  • To determine if pre-procedural LVEF impacts AF recurrence rates.
  • To identify predictors of AF recurrence post-ablation.

Main Methods:

  • A case-control study matched 36 patients with depressed LVEF to 36 controls with normal LVEF.
  • Matching criteria included left atrial diameter (LAD), arterial hypertension, age, gender, and AF type (paroxysmal vs. persistent).
  • Survival analysis and Cox regression were used to assess AF recurrence and correlate it with clinical variables.

Main Results:

  • Patients with depressed LVEF exhibited larger LV dimensions and lower LVEF compared to controls.
  • No significant difference in AF recurrence rates was observed between depressed and normal LVEF groups after a mean follow-up of 16 months.
  • Left atrial diameter (LAD) was the sole independent predictor of recurrence (OR 1.11, P = 0.03).
  • A significant improvement in LVEF was noted in the depressed LVEF group at 6-month follow-up.

Conclusions:

  • Left ventricular systolic dysfunction, indicated by reduced LVEF, is not an independent predictor of AF ablation outcomes.
  • Left atrial diameter is a significant independent correlate of AF recurrence, irrespective of LVEF.
  • These findings suggest that LAD should be considered when assessing the likelihood of recurrence after AF ablation.
Abstract

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