Topical amiodarone to prevent postoperative atrial fibrillation: Need for further study

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common complication after cardiac surgery that increases hospital stay and the risk of stroke.1 Prophylactic systemic administration of amiodarone in the perioperative period prevents postoperative AF2; however, its challenging side-effect profile limits its routine and widespread use as prophylaxis.3 It was therefore with great interest that we recently read the report by Feng and colleagues4 describing their success in applying a topical amiodarone-releasing hydrogel on the atrial surface during coronary artery bypass grafting operations.
Source: The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: Letter to the editor Source Type: research