Impact of Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Commissurotomy on The Left Atrial Appendage Function in Patients With Mitral Stenosis.

• Mitral stenosis (MS) is a disabling disease that limits the normal physical abilities of patients and considered as a major reason for hospital admissions . The leading cause of MS globally is rheumatic heart disease(RHD), which remains common in economically developing countries and continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality.
• Chronic pressure and volume overload imposed by MS causes left atrial (LA) and Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) dysfunction leading to reduced blood flow velocities thereby producing stasis of blood, reduced LA and LAA ejection fraction and atrial fibrillation (AF).
• These factors predispose to formation of LA and LAA thrombi in MS and result in thromboembolic episodes. Risk of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is increased approximately five-fold in non-rheumatic AF and 17-fold in patients with MS with AF. Even patients of MS in sinus rhythm with depressed LA and LAA function are at increased risk of CVA. Assessment of LAA function is helpful in predicting the risk of thromboembolism .
• PTMC can improve the function of the LAA by reducing the left atrial pressure and increasing the blood flow through the mitral valve.
• Echocardiography, particularly transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), is currently the modality of choice for evaluation of the LAA. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) allows semi-invasive, highly accurate imaging of the functional efficiency of LAA by LAA Doppler and Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) .
• MS causes decreased LAA Doppler and DTI velocities in patients even with sinus rhythm . So, this study aims to evaluate effect of successful PTMC on LAA function by TEE Doppler and DTI (doppler tissue imaging).
• Fractional area change (FAC): The FAC is a measure of the percentage of change in the area of the LAA during systole. A higher FAC indicates a more contractile LAA.

Inclusion criteria

• • Patient eligible for PTMC as anatomical characteristics àpatient with sever MS (area 1.5cm2, echocardiographic score (Wilkins score ≤ 8, Cormier score 1 and 2 …), contraindication or high risk to surgical MVR.

Exclusion criteria

• Patient with mitral regurgitation more than grade II .
• Patient not eligible to PTMC.
• Patient with severe heart failure (NHYA class IV) .
• Patient with previous Cerebrovascular accident .
• Patient with contraindication to TEE ( esophageal disease like stricture , diverticuli, varices, …, uncooperative patient )