title: Does sinus rhythm conversion after cardiac surgery affect postoperative health- related quality of life?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We investigated the impact and the predictive value of sinus rhythm at 12 months (SR12) on subscales of three different HrQoL questionnaires: SF-36., EuroQoL and MFI 20.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data of 125 cardiac surgery patients with pre-operative AF from our previous randomized trial were used. Based on their rhythm outcome patients were divided in two groups: SR12 or AF at 12 months follow up (non-SR12). All questionnaires were self-administered pre-operatively and at 3 months, 6 months and 12 months after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Synus rhytm at 12 months was predictive of improvement of SF36- mental score (MS, p = 0.021), Euro-QoL-MS (p = 0.009), VAS (p = 0.006), and MFI 20-MS (p = 0.009). We failed to find any significant interactions between SR12 and any of the other significant risk factors: age <65 years, paroxysmal type of AF and preoperative AF duration <12 months. In contrast, SR12 was not significant in predicting physical score (PS) subscales of any of the questionnaires (all, p > 0.05) which were predicted by age <65 years (SF36-PS, p = 0.029) by paroxysmal type of AF and age <65 years (Euro-QoL-PS, p = 0.017 and p = 0.04, respectively) and by AF duration <12 months, paroxysmal type of AF and age < 65 years (MFI 20-PS, p = 0.019, p = 0.020 and p = 0.015, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Specific mental-related HrQoL scales are much more sensitive to sinus rhythm conversion. Sinus rithm mantainance shows significant effects on mental scores independently of other cofactors. Successful conversion to sinus rhythm after surgical ablation during cardiac surgery does not significantly affect phisical health related quality of life during 1 year follow up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henrica N A M
authors.initials: HNAM
authors.lastname: van Breugel
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Orlando
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Parise
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Medical Technology Assessment, University Hospital of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Fred H M
authors.initials: FHM
authors.lastname: Nieman
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ryan E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Accord
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lucà
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pieter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lozekoot
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Narendra
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ghislaine A P G
authors.initials: GAPG
authors.lastname: van Mastrigt
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan F M A
authors.initials: JFMA
authors.lastname: Nijs
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Amphia Hospital Breda, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ries
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vrakking
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jos G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Maessen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: La Meir
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands. sandro.gelsomino@libero.it.|Experimental Surgery Unit, Careggi Hospital, Viale Morgagni 85, 50134, Florence, Italy. sandro.gelsomino@libero.it.
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gelsomino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Ablation; Atrial fibrillation; Health related quality of life