The Echocardiographic Assessment of Left Atrial and Right Ventricular Function Before and After Percutaneous Balloon Mitral Valvuloplasty: An Observational Study

Background: Rheumatic mitral stenosis causes progressive impairment of left atrial (LA) and right ventricular (RV) function due to chronic pressure overload. Percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV) relieves mitral obstruction and may lead to early improvement in cardiac chamber function. This study evaluated echocardiographic changes in LA and RV function before and after PBMV. The study aimed to assess left atrial and right ventricular function in patients with severe mitral stenosis and to evaluate the improvement in their function following percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty. Material and Methods: A hospital-based prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Cardiology, I.P.G.M.E. & R. and S.S.K.M. Hospital over 18 months following Institutional Ethics Committee approval. The study included 57 in patients with severe rheumatic mitral stenosis (RMS) undergoing successful percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty (BMV), selected according to predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Among 57 patients, mean age was 43.39 ± 9.60 years, with 71.9% females. Baseline MVA was 0.94 ± 0.10 cm² and RVGLS −11.48 ± 1.90%. After BMV, MVA increased and RVGLS improved significantly (both p<0.001). At 3 months, RVGLS reached −18.27 ± 2.04%, while baseline RVGLS independently predicted improvement (p=0.034). Conclusion: PBMV produces favorable early changes in both LA and RV function in patients with mitral stenosis. Echocardiographic assessment provides a useful non-invasive method for detecting these functional changes and may improve understanding of cardiac reverse remodeling following successful mitral valve intervention.

Keywords: Mitral stenosis; Percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty; Left atrial function; Right ventricular function; Echocardiography.