• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.255-261
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• 1999

Background: Atrial fibrillation is one of the most prevalent of all arrhythmias and in up to 79% of the patients with mitral valve disease. This study examined whether the atrial fibrillation that occur in patients with mitral valve operation could be eliminated by a concommitant maze operation without cryoablation. Material and Method: From May 1997 to April 1998, 14 patients with atrial fibrillation associated with mitral valve disease underwent Maze III operation without cryoablation. Preoperatively there were 6 men and 8 women with an average age of 46.2${\pm}$10.7 years. Eleven patients had mitral stenosis, and three had mitral insufficiency. The associated heart diseases were aortic valve disease in 4, tricuspid valve regurgitation in 1 and ASD in 2. Using transthoracic echocardiography, the mean left atrial diameters was 54.7${\pm}$5.3 mm and thrombi were found in the left atrium of 2 patients. Postoperatively the ratio between the peak speed of the early filling wave and that of the atrial contraction wave (A/E ratio) was determined from transmitral flow measurement. Operations were mitral valve replacement in 13 including 4 aortic valve replacements, 1 DeVega annuloplasty and 2 ASD closures. Maze III operation was performed in 1 patient. Result: Five patients (38%) had recurred atrial fibrillation, which was reversed with flecainide or amiodarone at the average time of postoperative 38.8${\pm}$23.5 days. Postoperative complications were postoperative transient junctional rhythm in 6, transient atrial fibrillation in 5, reoperation for bleeding in 3, postpericardiotomy syndrome(1), unilateral vocal cord palsy(1), postoperative psychosis(1), and myocardial infarction(1). Postoperatively A/E ratio was 0.43${\pm}$0.22 and A wave found in 9(64%) patients. 3 to 14 months postoperatively (average follow- up, 8.1 months), all of patients had normal sinus rhythm and 9(64%) patients had left atrial contraction and 11(79%) patients were not on a regimen of antiarrhythmic medication. Conclusion: We conclude that Maze III operation without cryoablation is an effective surgical treatment in atrial fibrillation associated with the mitral valve disease.