At the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland Annual Meeting, leading surgeons presented on arrhythmia surgery.
Professor Aldo Rinaldi, consultant cardiologist and clinical lead for electrophysiology at St. Guy’s and Thomas’ Hospitals, London, delivered a presentation titled “When Catheter Ablation Fails: How to Select Patients for Surgical Intervention.” He discussed various surgical treatments for atrial fibrillation (AF), including surgical AF ablation and the Cox-Maze procedure. He also compared catheter-based ablation to surgical ablation for persistent AF, and highlighted the advantages of a hybrid approach, as well as the bilateral thoracoscopic approach. Additionally, he covered the pericardioscopic approach and the cost-effectiveness of the convergent procedure non-paroxysmal AF.
Following Professor Rinaldi, Dr. Manuel Castella, cardiovascular surgeon and Chief of Cardiac Surgery Section at Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain, presented on “Improving AF Outcomes: EACTS Guidance in Practice.” His discussion included concomitant surgical ablation, insights from the PRAGUE-12 Study, and permanent pacemaker implantation. He also addressed long-term oral anticoagulation, pulse field ablation, and persistent and paroxysmal AF. Dr. Castella then showcased various robotic platforms and provided case examples utilizing these technologies.
In March 2026, the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Great Britain and Ireland held its annual conference, uniting experts in cardiothoracic surgery to explore the newest innovations in technology and surgical methods. Watch for more SCTS 2026 videos in the coming weeks.
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