Parameters of central hemodynamics in patients with typical atrial flutter before and after radiofrequency catheter ablation

: We present here results of dynamic assessment of morphofunctional state of the myocardium by the method of transthoracic echocardiography (EchoCG) in patients with paroxysmal and chronic forms of typical atrial flutter (AF) before and during one year after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) of cavo-tricuspid isthmus, and comparison of them with analogous parameters in a group of healthy volunteers. Eighty six patients participated in the study. Group 1 comprised 48 patients suffering from paroxysmal form of typical AF including 42 (87.5%) men, 6 (12.5%) women (mean age 50.9+/-18.1 years). Group 2 consisted of 18 patients with permanent form of typical AF including 16 (88.9%) men and 2 (11.1%) women (mean age 53.6+/-9.4 years). The group of clinical comparison comprised 20 practically healthy persons (mean age 41.9+/-5.3 years) without structural pathology from the side of cardiovascular system including 15 (75.0%) men and 5 (25.0%) women. All group 1 and 2 patients were subjected to RFA of typical AF. In patients of groups 1 and 2 EchoCG was carried out before and in 2, 6, and 12 months after operation of RFA, in control group--once. Analysis of parameters of central hemodynamicas in patients with typical AF detected significantly lowered values of characteristics of myocardial contractile function compared with the group of practically healthy subjects. But these parameters did not differ significantly between patients with different variants of clinical course of arrhythmia. It was established that in patients with typical AF in 2 months after conduct of procedure significant improvement of myocardial inotropic function and diminishment of dimensions of cardiac chambers was noted. In 6 months after fulfilled RFA values of investigated parameters approximated analogous parameters in the group of clinical comparison.