Immediate, short-term, and long-term effects of balloon mitral valvuloplasty on the left atrial global longitudinal strain and its correlation to the outcomes in patients with severe rheumatic mitral stenosis

Background Left atrial global longitudinal strain (LA GLS) has been used as a new assessment tool for left atrial function. This article aims to investigate the effect of balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMV) in patients with severe rheumatic mitral stenosis on LA GLS and its relation to the mitral valve area achieved after the procedure. The study included 95 patients with severe mitral stenosis who fulfilled the criteria for BMV (case group) and 80 normal healthy subjects (control group). All included participants underwent complete echocardiographic examinations. For the case group, LA GLS was assessed by 2D speckle-tracking Echocardiography before valvuloplasty, immediately after, within 24 h, at 6 months, and at 12 months, and the results were compared. Results The impaired left-atrium strain in patients with severe mitral stenosis was improved immediately after BMV, and the improvement continued at 6 and 12 months post-BMV (23.1% ± 4.2 vs. 36.0% ± 4.9, 36.2% ± 4.5, and 40.1% ± 9.5, respectively p < 0.01). After BMV, there was a significant decrease in left atrial volume (76.3 ± 12.4 ml/m 2 vs. 68.6 ± 10.4 ml/m 2 , p < 0.01) and a significant increase in the area occupied by the mitral valve (1.02 ± 0.18 cm 2 vs. 1.60 ± 0.31 cm, p < 0.01). The immediate LA GLS and the mitral valve area were positively correlated ( r = 0.64, p < 0.01). Furthermore, the immediate LA GLS was associated with significantly improved function class ( p < 0.01). Conclusions LA GLS can indicate left atrial (mainly reservoir) function. The improvement observed in patients after BMV may indicate that LA GLS can be used to evaluate the progress after BMV. Trial registration: The study was approved by the local ethics committee of the Faculty of Medicine in Minia University (Registration No. MUFMIRB 324-4-2022). Institutional Review Board, Faculty of Medicine, Minia University, Egypt. 324-4-2022, 24 18 April, 2022.