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Updated: May 14, 2026
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Assessment of left atrial function after percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale
Manolis Vavuranakis1, Charalampos Kavouras, Ioannis Vlasseros
11st Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, Medical School, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. vavouran@otenet.gr
Background:
The influence of atrial septal occluders in left atrial (LA) function after percutaneous closure of patent foramen ovale (PFO) has not been thoroughly studied.
Methods:
Twenty-five patients (mean age 40.7 ± 12 years) undergoing percutaneous PFO closure were enrolled in this study. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) was performed 3 and 6 months before the procedure. Volumetric indices (active emptying fraction: LA AEF, expansion index: LA EI, and passive emptying fraction: LA PEF), strain and strain rate (SR), were calculated during the contractile, reservoir, and conduit LA phases for the lateral, anterior, and inferior LA walls with TTE.
Results:
After 3 months, a decrease in the SR of the LA anterior wall was observed (from 2.12 ± 0.22 to 1.66 ± 0.26, P < 0.045), while the LA lateral wall strain was found to be increased (from 0.708 ± 0.15 to 0.783 ± 0.159, P < 0.001). Moreover, simultaneously LA AEF was greater compared with baseline (from 31.0 ± 1.6 to 34.0 ± 1.6, P < 0.004). However, all these alterations reversed at 6 months.
Conclusions:
Segmental LA function is altered transiently after percutaneous PFO closure with a septal occlude. The LA anterior wall SR decreases, while the lateral wall strain increases. The impact of these alterations needs further clarification.
