Preoperative arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation: cardiovascular surgery risk factor

Atrial fibrillation is still the most common arrhythmia that occurs in heart surgery. However, there is few literature data on the manner in which preoperative atrial fibrillation may influence the postoperative outcome of various heart surgery procedures. The purpose of our research is to assess the effects of preoperative atrial fibrillation on patients having undergone different heart surgery procedures. The results of our research are a review of clinical data which were collected prospectively, over a 10-year period, from all the patients who had undergone heart surgery in our Institute. The study group included 1119 heart surgery patients, who were divided as follows: the preoperative AFib group (n = 226, 20.19%) and the sinus rhythm group (n = 893, 79.80%). Major postoperative complications and hospital mortality rates were analyzed. According to our statistical analysis, preoperative atrial fibrillation significantly increased the mortality risk (P = 0.001), the patients' mechanical ventilation needs (P = 0.022), the rate of occurrence of infectious complications (P < 0.5), the rate of occurrence of complications such as acute kidney failure (P = 0.012), and the time spent by the patients in the intensive care ward (P < 0.01). In conclusion, preoperative atrial fibrillation in heart surgery patients increases the mortality and major complication risk further to heart surgery.