Letter to editor
Predictor markers of postoperative atrial fibrillation

Commentary on: Predictors of atrial fibrillation in patients following isolated surgical revascularization. A metaanalysis of 9 studies with 28,786 patients. Maciej Banach, Małgorzata Misztal, Aleksander Goch, Jacek Rysz, Jan H. Goch


The article by Maciej Banach et al. [1] is a very important contribution to the medical literature. This metaanalysis of 9 studies with 28,786 patients undergoing isolated surgical revascularization showed that 7,019 patients (24.4%) developed postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF). The most important factors predicting postoperative AF were advanced age, preoperative ejection fraction, history of AF, systemic hypertension, heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, neurological event, significant stenosis of the left main coronary artery before surgery, and postoperative use of inotropic therapy. Patients stratified as high risk for developing postoperative AF should have aggressive prophylactic treatment preoperatively. Elderly patients who have many important comorbidities should especially have aggressive prophylactic treatment preoperatively.
References
1. Banach M, Misztal M, Goch A, Rysz J, Goch JH. Predictors of atrial fibrillation in patients following isolated surgical revascularization. A metaanalysis of 9 studies with 28,786 patients. Arch Med Sci 2007; 3, 3: 229-39.