Radiofrequency catheter ablation is an increasingly adopted strategy for difficult-to-manage patients with atrial fibrillation. Echocardiography is the key imaging modality to assess left atrialstructure and function. In this review, the role of echocardiography in atrial fibrillation ablationbefore, during and after ablation is discussed. Currently established roles of echocardiography inpatie...

Nonvalvular atrial fibrillation is associated with a 4- to 5-fold strokes increase and may be responsible for 15% to 20% of all strokes in the elderly. In this scenario, the left atrial appendage thrombus would be the associated with 90% of cases. The use of anticoagulants, percutaneous devices, and the left atrial appendage surgical exclusion is still an open discussion. For left atrial append...

Atrial fibrillation increases the risk of thrombus formation. It is commonly responsible for cerebral stroke whereas less frequently for pulmonary embolism. The aim of the study was to describe the morphology of the left atrial appendage in the human heart with respect to sex, age and weight. Macroscopic examination was carried out on 100 left appendages taken from the hearts of the patients ag...

Patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) and a large left atrium are at a high risk for thromboembolisms. Recently, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have mainly been used for the prevention of cardiac embolisms caused by AF. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is performed in order to exclude any left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombi. We herein report two cases of persistent AF, bot...

A clear question arises: why a cheaper, effective, treatment as left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) couldn ́t reach a broader use? The cost of the device for LAAC + procedure itself in Germany is estimated in €9,136 [2], slightly superior to 1-year treatment with PCSK9 inhibitors [1]. The figures are similar in USA: the cost for LAAC procedure + 2 tra...

BACKGROUND The incidence of intracardiac thrombosis in haemodialysis patients has not been studied. Here we determined the incidence in end-stage renal disease patients on maintenance haemodialysis. METHODS Transoesophageal echocardiography was performed in 215 patients (125 males, 90 females; mean age 60 +/- 9 years). Any potential candidate with current or past chronic or intermittent atria...

INTRODUCTION Accurate discrimination of atrial and pulmonary vein potentials recorded circumferentially within the pulmonary veins is important when performing segmental isolation of the pulmonary veins in patients with atrial fibrillation. METHODS AND RESULTS Twenty patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation underwent pulmonary vein mapping with a decapolar Lasso catheter during sinus rhyt...

A 54-year-old man referred to our center with Barlow's disease and severe mitral regurgitation. He had atrial fibrillation (AF) rhythm, with a mildly enlarged left atrium (LA). Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) showed no clot in the LA and LA appendage; there was only mild spontaneous echo contrast in the LA appendage. The patient underwent mitral valve repair and the Maze operation, durin...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study is to point out timing of left atrium and its appendage functional recovery after cardioversion (CV) in recent onset atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS Fifty patients; 27 within 48-h (group I) and 23 after 48-h (group II), of AF onset, who had successful CV underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), before and immediately after CV, then 15, 30 and 90 days ...