Commentary: Surgical treatment for atrial fibrillation at the time of cardiac surgery: just do it

In this issue of Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Pyo and colleagues address the question “Does surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation benefit patients undergoing bioprosthetic valve replacement?” 1 They conclude that adding surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation reduces the prevalence of atrial fibrillation, decreases the need for anticoagulation, and improves long-term surviva l at the expense of an increased pacemaker requirement. There are reasons to question these conclusions, chiefly that the risk profiles were far more favorable in those who underwent ablation when compared to those who did not receive ablation.
Source: Seminars in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: ADULT – Commentary Source Type: research