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Cox-Maze IV Procedure Concomitant with Valvular Surgery In Situs Inversus Dextrocardia: A Single-Center Experience in China
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NORMAL QUALITY OF LIFE AFTER THE COX MAZE PROCEDURE FOR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

Spencer J Melby1, Andreas Zierer, Jordon G Lubahn

  • 1Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, 660 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery.

Innovations (Philadelphia, Pa.)
|September 28, 2011
PubMed

Insights

The Cox-Maze procedure effectively cures atrial fibrillation. Patients who undergo this surgery achieve a normal quality of life comparable to the general population long after treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Cardiac Surgery
  • Quality of Life Research

Background:

  • Atrial fibrillation (AF) significantly impairs patient quality of life.
  • The Cox-Maze procedure demonstrates high long-term efficacy in curing AF.
  • Long-term quality of life outcomes post-Cox-Maze for lone AF remain under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess late-term quality of life in patients who underwent a lone Cox-Maze procedure.
  • To compare the quality of life of these patients to the age-matched general US population.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 163 patients undergoing lone Cox-Maze for AF between 1987-2003 was studied.
  • 68 patients completed the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 Health Survey.
  • Patient scores were normalized and compared to the general US population using one-sample t-tests, excluding 4 patients with AF recurrence.

Main Results:

  • The study included 52 males (81%) with a mean age of 52.6 years.
  • Preoperative AF types included paroxysmal (58%) and persistent/permanent (39%).
  • At a mean follow-up of 8.7 years, no significant difference in quality of life scores was found between the Cox-Maze group and the general population across eight health domains.

Conclusions:

  • The Cox-Maze procedure is effective in achieving long-term atrial fibrillation cure for most patients.
  • Patients successfully treated for AF with the Cox-Maze procedure experience a quality of life comparable to the general population.
  • This suggests the procedure restores normal health-related quality of life in the long term.

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