New-onset of postoperative atrial fibrillation is likely to recur in the absence of other triggers

TY - JOUR

T1 - New-onset of postoperative atrial fibrillation is likely to recur in the absence of other triggers

AU - Park-Hansen, Jesper

AU - Greve, Anders M

AU - Clausen, Johan

AU - Holme, Susanne J

AU - Carranza, Christian L

AU - Irmukhamedov, Akhmadjon

AU - Sabah, Lubna

AU - Lin, Qing

AU - Madsen, Anne Sofie

AU - Domínguez, Helena

PY - 2018

Y1 - 2018

N2 - Background: Incident atrial fibrillation (AF) is reported in 10%–65% of patients without previous AF diagnosis after open heart surgery. The risk of late AF recurrence after a postoperative AF onset is unclear, and it is controversial whether AF limited to the postoperative period should elicit oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term recurrence of AF in patients developing new-onset peri-procedural AF. Patients and methods: Patients (n=189) with available baseline and follow-up data included in Left Atrial Appendage Closure with Surgery trial were coded for known AF at baseline and for postoperative first-time AF diagnosis. AF occurrence was classified as follows: peri-procedural ≤7 days postoperatively, early >7 days but ≤3 months and late >3 months. Patients with no AF recurrence registered during follow-up were invited to undergo Holter monitoring. Results: A total of 163 (86.2%) patients had no history of AF. Among these, 80 (49.1%) developed new-onset peri-procedural AF. After a mean follow-up of 3.7±1.6 years, late AF occurred in 35 of the 80 (43.8%) patients who developed peri-procedural AF and in 6 additional patients (7.2%) who remained in sinus rhythm until discharge (hazard ratio [HR] 9.3, 95% CI 3.8–22.4, p<0.001). Patients with peri-procedural AF and early AF had 12.24 times higher risk of late AF (95% CI 4.76–31.45, p<0.001) as compared to the group with no postoperative AF. Conclusion: New-onset of AF after open heart surgery has a high rate of recurrence and should not be regarded as a self-limiting phenomenon secondary to surgery.

AB - Background: Incident atrial fibrillation (AF) is reported in 10%–65% of patients without previous AF diagnosis after open heart surgery. The risk of late AF recurrence after a postoperative AF onset is unclear, and it is controversial whether AF limited to the postoperative period should elicit oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term recurrence of AF in patients developing new-onset peri-procedural AF. Patients and methods: Patients (n=189) with available baseline and follow-up data included in Left Atrial Appendage Closure with Surgery trial were coded for known AF at baseline and for postoperative first-time AF diagnosis. AF occurrence was classified as follows: peri-procedural ≤7 days postoperatively, early >7 days but ≤3 months and late >3 months. Patients with no AF recurrence registered during follow-up were invited to undergo Holter monitoring. Results: A total of 163 (86.2%) patients had no history of AF. Among these, 80 (49.1%) developed new-onset peri-procedural AF. After a mean follow-up of 3.7±1.6 years, late AF occurred in 35 of the 80 (43.8%) patients who developed peri-procedural AF and in 6 additional patients (7.2%) who remained in sinus rhythm until discharge (hazard ratio [HR] 9.3, 95% CI 3.8–22.4, p<0.001). Patients with peri-procedural AF and early AF had 12.24 times higher risk of late AF (95% CI 4.76–31.45, p<0.001) as compared to the group with no postoperative AF. Conclusion: New-onset of AF after open heart surgery has a high rate of recurrence and should not be regarded as a self-limiting phenomenon secondary to surgery.

U2 - 10.2147/TCRM.S165155

DO - 10.2147/TCRM.S165155

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 30237718

SN - 1176-6336

VL - 14

SP - 1641

EP - 1647

JO - Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management (Print)

JF - Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management (Print)

ER -