Determinants of Reverse Remodeling of the Left Atrium After Transaortic Myectomy

Nguyen and colleagues evaluated whether left atrium (LA) enlargement in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was reversed after septal myectomy. The authors retrospectively reviewed transthoracic echocardiographic measurements of LA volume index from 656 patients who underwent myectomy over eight years at their center. Only patients with both preoperative and postoperative measurements were included. The authors noted both early reduction in LA volume index prior to hospital discharge, and late reduction at two-year follow-up, which they suggest is indicative of continued reverse remodeling. The severity of preoperative mitral regurgitation and the risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation were associated with preoperative LA volume index, but the risks of postoperative stroke and survival were not.