Surgical treatment of chronic atrial fibrillation with conventional electrocautery in mitral valve surgery.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the results of the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation for ablation of the posterior left atrial wall using electrocautery in mitral valve surgery. METHODS From May 2004 to December 2006, 23 patients underwent surgical correction of mitral valve disease and treatment of atrial fibrillation using the conventional electrocautery for the accomplishment of lines of endocardial ablation in the left atrium. The mean age of the patients was 59 years, and 60.8% were female. The left atrium mean diameter was 50.3 +/- 5.09 mm and the left ventricular ejection fraction was 53.6 +/- 11.03%. RESULTS The mean time of extracorporeal circulation was 52.5 +/- 13.3 min; aortic clamping, 35.6 +/- 12.9 min; atrial ablation, 3.05 +/- 0.16 min. All the patients were free of atrial fibrillation after the procedure; on hospital discharge, 69.5%; at 6 months, 91.3%; at 12 months, 76.4%; at 18 months, and at 24 months, 68.4%. At 12 months, left atrium mean diameter was 42.1 +/- 3.5 mm; left ventricular ejection fraction was 59.2 +/- 3.48%; In addition, left atrial contraction was present in 68.8% of the patients. CONCLUSION The surgical treatment of the atrial fibrillation with electrocautery in mitral valve surgery was capable to determine the reversion of this arrhythmia in a significant number of patients during short- and middle-term clinical follow-up without mortality and fewer complications.