title: Combined atrial fibrillation and mitral valve surgery using radiofrequency technology.
abstract: Recently, intraoperative radiofrequency ablation of the left atrium combined with mitral valve surgery has become widely used. In our center, 30 patients underwent this combined procedure; median sternotomy was used in 16 patients, and port access was used in 14 patients. At hospital discharge, 18 patients (60%) were no longer in atrial fibrillation, and at 6 months, 19 patients (65%) remained in sinus rhythm. All sinus rhythm patients had a well-defined transmitral A wave detectable by echocardiography. One patient sustained a major stroke. Two patients required pacemaker implantation. Such encouraging preliminary results have triggered worldwide interest in the percutaneous and surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation. However, the excellent long-term results with the classic Cox-Maze III operation have not yet been achieved with these newer approaches. Further basic and clinical research is required before a predictable simple and safe technique can be introduced as a new standard for the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation in patients with or without structural heart disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Clinic, Aalst, Belgium.
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wellens
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Casselman
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Geelen
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brugada
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Van Praet
authors.forename: Raphael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Geest
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Degrieck
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vanermen
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D001530:Belgium; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000295:instrumentation; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D011300:Preoperative Care; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome