Left atrial and left atrial appendage functional recovery after cardioversion in patients with recent atrial fibrillation: Serial echocardiographic study.

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 later. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was performed for group II before and for all patients immediately after CV and 1 month later.