The Long-Term Outcomes of Concomitant Cox-Maze IV Procedure in Patients With Mitral Valve Disease and Atrial Fibrillation

This article reports the long-term outcomes of the concomitant Cox-Maze IV procedure in patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent mitral valve surgery. The authors found that the concomitant Maze procedure provided freedom from atrial tachyarrhythmias of 80 percent at five years and 65 percent at 10 years, respectively. In terms of freedom from symptomatic atrial fibrillation recurrence, the rates were 94 percent and 83 percent, respectively. Interestingly, the 10-year survival rate in the propensity-matched group who underwent concomitant Cox Maze group was 54 percent, compared to 43 percent in those without ablation, indicating a significant survival benefit in patients receiving concomitant ablation.