Electrical Cardioversion of Atrial Fibrillation after Successful Percutaneous Balloon Mitral Valvuloplasty

ABSTRACT

Objectives: There was no previous report about the electrical cardioversion for the patients with atrial fibrillation after successful percutaneous ballon mitral valvuloplasty (PBMV). We performed electrical cardioversion after PBMV to evaluate the effectiveness of this procedure in the view of conversion to and maintenance of the sinus rhythm. METHODS: 28 patients who had persistent atrial fibrillation after successful PBMV were included in this study. All patients were anticoagulated with warfarin. Amiodarone was loaded and maintained before cardioversion. The PBMV procedures were guided by transesophageal echocardiography in all patients. Transthoracic echocardiography was done before and after PBMV and cardioversion, and was followed. RESULTS: The number of patients were 28 (male 9 and female 19) within the mean age of 50.3+/-12.0 years (24-66). Initially 24 patients (86%) succeeded in electrical cardioversion. The energy required for successful conversion was 230+/-75J, on average. There were no complications except for the transient sinus bradycardia in 2 cases. The mean follow-up duration was 357+/-144 days and when followed-up, the sinus rhythm was maintained in 15 patients out of 24 with initial success (63%). No factor was significantly related to the success of cardioversion, but left atrial dimension after 1 month of PBMV was significantly related to the maintenance of the sinus rhythm. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that electrical cardioversion of atrial fibrillation after successful PBMV is favorable and recommendable treatment modality of chronic valvular atrial fibrillation with high conversion rate (88%) and good maintenance rate (63%).