A wolf in sheep's skin? Postoperative atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery and the risk of stroke and mortality

Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation (poAF; AF) is the most common complication after heart surgery.1 Up to 50% of patients who present preoperatively in normal sinus rhythm will develop poAF after cardiac surgery making it the most common postoperative morbidity.2 It is hypothesized that inflammation, increased sympathoadrenal activation, and oxidative stress unmask the propensity for developing poAF in at-risk patients, thereby leading to blood stasis and clot formation in the left atrium.3 Resulting thromboembolism and cerebrovascular accidents can dramatically change the postoperative course and affect patients ’ lives.
Source: Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Source Type: research