The Predictive Value of Chronic Atrial Fibrillation for the Short- and Long-Term Outcome after Percutaneous Mitral Balloon Valvotomy
Jorina Langerveld MD, Norbert M. v. Hemel MD, Sjef M. P. G. Ernst MD, H. W. Thijs Plokker MD, Johannes C. Kelder MD, Wybren Jaarsma MD

The predictive value of pre-procedural chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) and its duration for short- and long-term outcome after percutaneous mitral balloon valvotomy (PTMV) was analyzed. In total, 140 PTMV procedures were performed in 137 patients with severe mitral stenosis. Sixty-three patients (45%) were in chronic AF. Mean follow up was 4.2 ± 2.6 years (n = 127). Multivariate analysis showed the presence of chronic AF to be the only pre-procedural independent predictor for severe mitral regurgitation following PTMV (p = 0.030), as well for an event (p = 0.039) and restenosis (p = 0.034) during follow up. The risk for an event or restenosis during follow up increased seven-fold when chronic AF at baseline was present for more than one year (p = 0.010). Hence, pre-procedural chronic AF is an independent predictor for unfavorable results at short- and long-term follow up after PTMV. A longer duration of AF will further increase the risk for an event or restenosis.