title: Ascending aortic aneurysm repair and surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation is commonly performed during concomitant coronary or valve surgery, it is still only performed in a fraction these cases when indicated, and less often in patients undergoing aneurysm surgery. We describe our experience in patients undergoing ascending aneurysm repair and concomitant atrial fibrillation ablation.
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2004 until November 2011, 40 patients underwent ascending aneurysm repair and atrial fibrillation ablation at our institution and were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average age was 67.6 years (43-85). Root replacement was performed in 23 (57.5 %) and arch replacement with circulatory arrest in 18 (45 %). At an average of 41.8 months, 81 % of patients were in sinus rhythm. Operative survival was 100 %, with 1 and 5 year survival of 97.5 and 93.1 %, respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed improved overall survival in patients with rhythm success (log-rank test p = 0.037).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aortic aneurysm repair with concomitant atrial fibrillation ablation is safe and efficacious despite the requirement for an already extensive procedure with rhythm success rates similar to those quoted in the setting of other procedures. Successful restoration of sinus rhythm improves long term survival and should be considered in patients presenting with aortic aneurysm and atrial fibrillation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, USA. bmworku@hotmail.com.|Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, USA. bmworku@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Berhane
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Worku
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, USA. iog9001@nyp.org.|Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, New York Methodist Hospital, Brooklyn, USA. iog9001@nyp.org.
authors.forename: Iosif
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gulkarov
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, USA. cmack@med.cornell.edu.|Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, New York Hospital Queens, Queens, USA. cmack@med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Charles A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Mack
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, USA. lngirard@med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Leonard N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Girardi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College/New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, USA. ars9001@med.cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salemi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*