SURGICAL TREATMENT OF ATRIAL FIBRILLATION IN ELDERLY PATIENTS UNDERGOING
HIGH RISK CARDIAC SURGERY
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM To evaluate outcomes of concurrent Cox-Maze procedures in
elderly patients undergoing high-risk cardiac surgery. MEHODS We
retrospectively identified patients aged over 70 years with Atrial
Fibrillation (AF) from 2011 to 2017 who had two or more other cardiac
procedures. They were subdivided into two groups: 1. Cox-Maze IV AF
ablation 2. No-Surgical AF treatment. Patients requiring redo procedures
or those who had isolated PVI or LAAO were excluded. Heart rhythm
assessed from Holter reports or 12-lead ECG. Follow-up data collected
through telephone consultations and medical records. RESULTS There were
239 patients. Median follow up was 61 months. 70 patients had Cox-Maze
IV procedures (29.3%). Demographic, intra- and post-operative outcomes
were similar between groups although duration of pre-operative AF was
shorter in Cox-Maze group (p=0.001). One (1.4%) patient in Cox maze
group with 30-day mortality compared to 14 (8.2%) the control group
(p=0.05). Sinus rhythm at annual and latest follow-up was 84.9% and
80.0% respectively in Maze group - significantly better than
No-Surgical AF treatment groups (P<0.001). 160 patients
(66.9%) were alive at long-term follow-up with better survival curves
in Cox Maze group compared to No-Surgical treatment group (p=0.02).
There was significantly higher proportion of patients in NYHA 1 status
in Cox-Maze group (p=0.009). No differences observed in freedom from
stroke (p=0.80) or permanent pacemaker (p=0.33). CONCLUSIONS. Surgical
ablation is beneficial in elderly patients undergoing high-risk surgery
- promoting excellent long-term freedom from AF and
symptomatic/prognostic benefits. Therefore, surgical risk need not be
reason to deny benefits of concomitant AF-ablation.