Surgical Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation in the United States: Trends and Propensity Matched Outcomes [1]
Badhwar and colleagues analyzed the usage and outcomes of surgical ablation (SA) for atrial fibrillation reported in The Society of Thoracic Surgeons database. They found an incrementally increasing volume of SA procedures concomitant with cardiac operations like coronary artery bypass and valve repair/replacement over the 3-year period analyzed. Concomitant SA was associated with reduced risk of mortality and stroke but increased risk of renal failure and subsequent pacemaker implantation.
This research was presented at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association, and a brief discussion from that meeting follows the article.