The effects of percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty on the left atrial appendage function in patients with sinus rhythm and atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Mitral stenosis (MS) causes structural and functional abnormalities of the left atrium (LA) and left atrial appendage (LAA), and studies show that LAA performance improves within a short time after percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC). This study aimed to investigate the effects of PTMC on left atrial function by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).

Methods: We enrolled 56 patients with severe mitral stenosis (valve area less than 1.