title: [Long term effectiveness of surgical cryoablation for chronic atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing surgery for severe mitral valve regurgitation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to evaluate effectiveness of surgical cryoMAZE ablation for chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients undergoing mitral valve surgical intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-seven patients (31 females), aged 67.3 +/- 7.3 years who underwent surgical intervention for severe mitral regurgitation were studied. Mitral valvuloplasty was performed in 21 patients, and mitral valve replacement in 26 patients. Combined procedure was employed in 35 patients; simultaneous aortocoronary bypass was performed in 16 patients, tricuspid valvuloplasty (TVP) in 5 patients, and aortic valve replacement (AVR) in 5 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean follow-up time was 19 +/- 10 months. After 6 or 12 months 36 or 32 patients were seen and 23 (64%) or 22 (69%) of them were in stable sinus rhythm (SR), respectively. In the subset of 24 patients with simultaneous intervention on a different valve (TVP or AVR), after 6 or 12 months, 14 (74 %) or 15 (83 %) patients had stable SR, respectively. In the follow-up period, 2 patients underwent successful catheter ablation for type I atrial flutter or for a residual left atrial atypical flutter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the study using the method of cryoMAZE ablation for chronic AF performed during the mitral valve surgical intervention, a long-term stable SR was achieved in a high proportion of patients, particularly in patients with simultaneous intervention on two or three different valves.
authors.affiliation: Oddĺení kardiologie, Kardiocentrum, Nemocnice Podlesí a.s., Trinec. radek.neuwirth@centrum.cz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Neuwirth
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiala
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Branny
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Novosad
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Urban
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jiravský
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chovancík
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nevralová
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Branny
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003452:Cryosurgery; D005260:Female; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications