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Updated: Aug 24, 2025

Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 26, 2013
Risk Factors for Chronic Atrial Fibrillation Development After Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer
Manabu Kashiwagi1, Toshiyasu Ojima2, Keiji Hayata3
1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama, 641-8510, Japan.
Background:
This study investigates the prognosis of patients with postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF), aiming to elucidate predictors of occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in the chronic phase after esophagectomy.
Methods:
We retrospectively analyzed 415 consecutive patients between July 2010 and December 2021 who were scheduled to undergo esophagectomy for esophageal cancer and had no previous history of AF.
Results:
POAF occurred in 73 patients (18%). Their ages were higher than those without POAF (72 [66-77] vs 68 [62-75], P < 0.01). Three-field lymph node dissection was more frequent in patients with POAF (63% vs 50%, P = 0.04). Overall survival rates were not significantly different between those with and without POAF in patients with stage III/IV cancer (P = 0.37), but overall survival rate of patients with POAF was lower than in those without POAF in stage I/II cancer (P = 0.03). Seventeen patients (4.1%) had recurrence of AF or new onset 31 days after esophagectomy. POAF was the only independent predictor of AF development in the chronic phase (HR: 4.09, 95%CI: [1.42-11.74], P = 0.01). AF development in the chronic phase was observed in 8 patients (11.0%) with and 9 patients (2.6%) without POAF (P < 0.01). AF development rates were not significantly different in patients with stage III/IV cancer (P = 0.05), but there was significant difference in patients with stage I/II cancer (P < 0.01).
Conclusion:
The occurrence of POAF after esophagectomy is related with future development of AF and overall survival prognosis. Future studies must ascertain optimal therapeutic strategy.
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