Introduction: Echocardiographic measurements, such as left atrial (LA) volume, strain, and diastolic dysfunction, have been identified as valuable predictors of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after ablation (1,2). These factors are associated with structural remodelling, including atrial myocardial fibrosis, which may contribute to an increased likelihood of recurrence (3). In this study, we aimed to evaluate echocardiographic predictors of AF recurrence in our patient population.
Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent AF ablation between February 2022 and September 2024. AF recurrence during follow-up up was recorded. Data comparison between patients with and without recurrence was performed using t-tests and chi-square.
Results: A total of 39 patients with preprocedural echocardiography examination available for further analysis were identified and included in the analysis. Baseline characteristics, laboratory findings, and echocardiographic measurements are summarized inTable 1. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference between the recurrence and non-recurrence groups in LA reservoir strain (p=0.002) and E/e’ ratio (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Although our study is limited by a small sample size, the findings align with previous research, suggesting that LA strain and E/e’ ratio may serve as valuable predictors of atrial fibrillation recurrence. Future studies with larger cohorts are needed to confirm these results and integrate these echocardiographic parameters into clinical management strategies.