Speckle tracking derived left and right ventricular strain, strain rate and

Objectives: Aim of the study was to assess left and right ventricular strain, strain rate and left ventricular rotation in children at late follow-up after atrioventricular node slow pathway radiofrequency ablation. Materials and methods: Left and right ventricular strain, strain rate, left ventricular rotation, rotational ve-locity and twist were assessed using the speckle tracking echocardiography in 22 children who underwent radiofrequency ablation of slow pathway and in 15 healthy control children. Results: There were no significant differences in conventional echocardiographic left and right ventricular parameters between the two groups (p>0.05), except left atrial volume (28.0±8.7 ml in control group vs. 37.3±13.9 ml in radiofrequency ablation group, p=0.024) and right atrial volume (16.0±6.7 ml vs. 21.5±8.5 ml, respectively, p=0.047)  and their left (16.7±6.0 ml/m2 vs. 26.3± 9.8 ml/m2, p=0.002, respectively) and right (16.0± 6.6 ml/m2 vs. 21.5±8.5 ml/m2, respectively, p=0.05) indices that were significantly higher in radiofrequency ablation group. Speckle tracking imaging derived regional and global strain, systolic and diastolic left and right ventricular strain rate as well as left ventricular rotation, rotational rate did not differ between the radiofrequency ablation group and controls (p>0.05). Left ventricular twist was comparable between the radiofrequency ablation group and controls (p>0.05). Conclusions: Speckle tracking echocardiography did not revealed any deterioration of regional and global long and short axis function of the left and right ventricles in children, who underwent atrioventricu-lar node slow pathway radiofrequency ablation.