In this issue of the International Journal of Cardiovascular Sciences, Madeira et al. evaluated the influence of percutaneous left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion device on left atrial (LA) function. They assessed several parameters of atrial function, including LA strain and strain rate by speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) of 16 patients, 75% with permanent atrial fibrillation, undergoing percutaneous LAA closure. No differences were found in maximum and minimum LA volume or LA emptying fraction before and 3 months after the procedure. Similarly, […]