title: Persistent atrial fibrillation ablation concomitant to coronary surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This analysis was undertaken to evaluate the results of persistent atrial fibrillation (pAF) ablation procedures concomitant to coronary surgery and to identify the risk factors for pAF recurrence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Since 2001, a total of 126 consecutive patients with pAF (duration: 0.5-33 years) underwent ablation concomitant to coronary surgery (isolated or in combination with valve surgery), whereby two encircling isolation lesions around the left and the right pulmonary veins and a connecting lesion between both was created using radiofrequency ablation. Patients were reevaluated at discharge, 3 months and 3 years after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Survivals at the time of reexamination were 96.8, 95.1 and 94.7 %, respectively. Stable sinus rhythm (SR) could be documented in 66.4, 75.1 and 75.9 % of surviving patients. Long-term pAF before surgery and a larger left atrium (LA) were predictive of postoperative pAF return ( P < 0.01). Statistical analysis demonstrated a cut-off point of 5 years for pAF and 50 mm for LA diameter: 89.1 % of patients with pAF duration of < 5 years and 86.2 % of patients with LA size of ≤ 50 mm were in stable SR at late follow-up. Cardiac rhythm at 3 months was predictive for long-term rhythm prognosis ( P < 0.01). Age, gender and concomitant diseases (e.g. arterial hypertension, diabetes, renal insufficiency), and the underlying cause of heart disease did not significantly influence the postoperative cardiac rhythm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The duration of pAF and the LA size are the most reliable preoperative variables to predict the success rate of ablation in patients undergoing coronary surgery. The probability of re-establishing stable SR is excellent when pAF duration is short and LA size is small.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, Asklepios Klinik St. Georg, Hamburg, Germany. s.geidel@asklepios.com
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Geidel
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lass
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boczor
authors.forename: K-H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kuck
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ostermeyer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmoeckel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome