Abstract
Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) following cardiac surgery is common
and has clinical impact on morbidity. The preoperative and
intraoperative risk factors are still not well defined. The objective of
the study was to examine preoperative and intraoperative risk factors
for AF following cardiac surgery. Methods: A retrospective analysis of a
database of cardiac surgeries was performed during 2017-2019 at Poriya
Medical Center. Preoperative factors and intraoperative were recorded.
Results: 208 patients were included in this analysis. Overall AF
following cardiac surgery was detected in 50 (24%) patients. Of 175
patients who did not have history of AF prior to surgery, 27 (15.5%)
had post-operative AF. In the 33 patients with previous AF, AF following
surgery was detected in 23 (70%). Patients with AF following surgery
who were older (66.2±8.0 vs. 60.7± 11.4 years, p=0.002), were treated
more with anti-arrhythmic drugs (18.9% vs 4.5, p<0.001), and
had higher rates of pre-operative AF (46% vs 6.3%, p=0.0001), prior
cerebral vascular accidents (14% vs 4.4%, p=0.019), and prior valve
replacement (10% vs 1.9%, p=0.009) compared to patients without AF
following surgery. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, age (HR
1.04, CI 1.01-1.07, P=0.006) and history of preoperative AF (HR 6.01, CI
3.42-10.57, P<0.001) were predictors of AF following cardiac
surgery. The probability of being free of postsurgical AF was 80% among
patients without history of AF compared to 30% in patients with
previous AF history (p<0.001). Conclusion: Preoperative AF and
age were predictors of AF following cardiac surgery