Limitations
Our study has several limitations. First, this was a retrospective
observational study with small sample size. Although the incidence of AT
after the Maze procedure was reported to be 5-15%,13the frequency of AT after the Maze procedure is unknown because this
study included cases from other facilities. In addition, the types of CS
and the Maze procedure,25 such as Maze line and energy
sources, varied slightly depending on institutions. Almost half of the
cases in this study were treated with CryoMaze2 in our
institution, but to determine the exact incidence of AT after unified
Maze procedure and characteristics of such AT, prospective multicenter
studies are needed.