CHANGE IN LEFT-VENTRICULAR DIASTOLIC FILLING PATTERNS IN PATIENTS WITH SUPRAVENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA TREATED BY RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION - A DOPPLER-ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC STUDY

To evaluate changes in left ventricular diastolic filling patterns res ulting from radiofrequency ablation for supraventricular tachycardia ( SVT), 44 patients with SVT undergoing radiofrequency ablation (study g roup), and 16 patients with SVT undergoing electrophysiologic study wi thout ablation (control group) were studied by pulsed Doppler echocard iography. Peak early diastolic filling velocity (E), peak atrial filli ng velocity (A), and an E/A ratio were obtained from the transmitral f low velocity pattern before and 24-48 h after ablation or electrophysi ologic study. In the study group, E and E/A ratio decreased from 67 +/ - 16 and 1.26 +/- 0.42 to 61 +/- 16 cm/s and 1.09 +/- 0.39 (p < 0.001) , respectively. In the control group, only E/A ratio decreased from 1. 40 +/- 0.47 to 1.26 +/- 0.44 (p < 0.001). Heart rate increased from 71 +/- 10 to 80 +/- 10 beats/min (p < 0.001) in the study group and from 67 +/- 8 to 72 +/- 10 beats/min (p < 0.05) in the control group. E an d E/A ratio decreased significantly from 73 +/- 17 and 1.35 +/- 0.49 t o 60 +/- 18 cm/s and 0.96 +/- 0.40 (p < 0.001) in patients with heart rate change of > 20% after ablation. E, A, and E/A ratio did not chang e significantly in patients with heart rate change of < 10% and of bet ween 10 and 20% after ablation. Blood pressure and left ventricular ej ection fraction did not change in either the study or control groups. It was concluded that left ventricular ejection fraction and Doppler d iastolic filling patterns are unaffected by radiofrequency ablation. T he decrease in E and E/A ratio in patients with SVT resulted from the more than 20% change in heart rate after radiofrequency ablation.