title: Effect of ventral cardiac denervation in the incidence of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of ventral cardiac denervation in the incidence of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between September and November, 50 patients without history or previous diagnosis of atrial arrhythmia from the same institution presenting coronary heart disease with indication for coronary artery graft bypass surgery were enrolled in a prospective and randomized study. The exclusion criteria were: patients older than 75 years of age, previous history of atrial arrhythmia and associated heart surgeries. Denervation was performed before cardiopulmonary bypass and it was achieved by removing the adipose tissues around the superior vena cava, aorta and pulmonary artery. The groups were compared regarding demographic, clinical and operative variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no hospital mortalities. The additional time for the denervation was 7.64+/-2.33 minutes, and there were no associated complications. Postoperative atrial fibrillation was present in two (8%) patients of the Control Group and in three (12%) patients who underwent ventral cardiac denervation. The risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing ventral cardiac denervation was 22% higher than in the Control Group (0.56-2.66,confidence interval); however, this outcome was not statistically significant (p=0.64).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ventral cardiac denervation, despite being a fast and low-risk procedure, does not significantly reduce the incidence of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
authors.affiliation: jrbreda@hotmail.com
authors.forename: João Roberto
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Breda
authors.forename: Ana Silvia Castaldi Ragognetti
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Breda
authors.forename: Andréa Cristina Oliveira
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.forename: Adriano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meneghini
authors.forename: Carlos Mendes
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tavares
authors.forename: Luís Carlos de
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Abreu
authors.forename: Neif
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Murad
authors.forename: Adilson Casemiro
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pires
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation*; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009121:Muscle Denervation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome