ObjectiveTo investigate the technique and efficacy of left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCABG) in elderly patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and atrial fibrillation (AF).MethodsFrom 2013 to 2018, 84 elderly patients with CAD and AF with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF< 50%) underwent OPCABG in our department. There were 54 males and 30 females at age of 70-82 years. They were divided into a left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion group (n=56) and a non-LAA occlusion group (n=28). Postoperative antithrombotic therapy: the LAA occlusion group was given warfarin + aspirin + clopidogrel “triple antithrombotic therapy” for 3 months after operation, then was changed to aspirin + clopidogrel “dual antiplatelet” for long-term antithrombotic; the non-LAA occlusion group was given warfarin + aspirin + clopidogrel “triple antithrombotic” for long-term antithrombotic after operation. The clinical effectiveness of the two groups was compared.ResultsAll patients underwent the surgery successfully. There were 56 patients in the LAA occlusion group, including 44 patients of LAA exclusion and 12 patients of LAA clip. The time of LAA occlusion was 3 to 8 minutes. There was no injury of graft vessels and anastomotic stoma. Early postoperative death occurred in 2 patients (2.4%). There was no statistical difference between the two groups in postoperative hospital stay (P=0.115). Postoperative LVEF of the two groups significantly improved compared with that before operation (P<0.05). There was no stroke or bleeding in important organs during hospitalization. During follow-up of 1 year, no cerebral infarction occurred in both groups, but the incidence of bleeding related complications in the LAA occlusion group was significantly lower than that in the non-LAA occlusion group (3.6% vs. 18.5%, P=0.036).ConclusionFor elderly patients with CAD and AF with reduced LVEF, LAA occlusion during OPCABG can effectively reduce the risk of stroke and bleeding related complications, and without increasing the risk of surgery.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most common complications after cardiac surgery. The existing treatment of postoperative AF mainly focuses on preoperative prevention, intraoperative protection and postoperative treatment for factors prone to AF before, during and after surgery, but the postoperative treatment in various areas and hospitals is different. This article combines the latest literature published in Europace about the practice guidance of cardioversion of AF and atrial flutter, and summarizes the treatment of electrical cardioversion, in order to provide clinical guidance for electrical cardioversion of AF after cardiac surgery.
The effect of relaxation time in hyperbolic heat transfer model on the temperature field of microwave ablation of atrial fibrillation was investigated. And the results were compared with those calculated by Pennes model. A three-dimensional model of microwave ablation of atrial fibrillation was constructed. The relaxation time (τ) was 0, 1, 5, 8, 10, 15 and 20 s, respectively. And the temperature field of myocardial tissue was obtained. The results showed that the highest temperature of the hyperbolic model was 21.8 ℃ lower than that of the Pennes model at the beginning of ablation. With the increase of ablation time, the highest temperature tended to be the same. The lesion dimensions appeared at 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 s, respectively after ablation. Therefore, the influence of hyperbolic model on temperature will decrease with the increase of the ablation time. At the beginning of ablation, the relaxation time will hinder the speed of myocardial thermal diffusion. The larger the relaxation time is, the slower the speed of thermal diffusion is. This study provides a reference for the application of hyperbolic model in microwave ablation of atrial fibrillation.
Objective To evaluate the short-term outcome and influence of atrial fibrillation ablation and mitral valve replacement for patients with mitral valve stenosis and atrial fibrillation. Methods Retrospective analysis was conducted for 44 patients with rheumatic mitral valve stenosis and atrial fibrillation who experienced mitral valve replacement with or without surgical atrial fibrillation ablation procedure in our hospital from January 2016 to June 2017. Eighteen patients experienced mitral valve replacement and surgical atrial fibrillation ablation procedure (a group 1), and the other 26 patients experienced mitral valve replacement without surgical atrial fibrillation ablation procedure (a group 2). In th group 1, there were 4 males and 14 females, aged 43-67 (55.67±7.56) years, and in the group 2 there were 6 males and 20 females, aged 40-72 (54.81±8.81) years. The patients’ data, preoperative echocardiography, surgery procedures, perioperative events, echocardiography and electrocardiogram at postoperative three months were collected to evaluate the short-term outcome and influence of surgical atrial fibrillation ablation procedure for those patients. Results There was no statistical difference in the operation duration (P=0.867) and ICU stay (P=0.550) between the two groups. But the group 1 had longer extracorporeal circulation duration (P=0.006) and aorta arrest duration (P=0.001) than the group 2. No patient died perioperatively and one patient from the group 1 experienced reoperation because of too much chest tube drainage. At three months after operation, echocardiography and electrocardiogram examination showed that 16 patients in the group 1 and 2 patients in the group 2 had sinus rhythm. There was no statistical difference between postoperative and preoperative examination about variation in left ventricle ejection fraction, pulmonary arterial systolic pressure, left atrial diameter and left ventricular end diastolic diameter between the two groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion Atrial fibrillation ablation does not increase the risk of mitral valve replacement for patients who have mitral valve stenosis and atrial fibrillation. The rate of converting to sinus rhythm is high, but additional atrial fibrillation ablation procedure does not have positive or negative influence on short-term recovery of cardiac structure and function after operation.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinic, which can cause hemodynamic changes, heart failure and stroke, and seriously affect human life and health. As a self-promoting disease, the treatment of AF can become more and more difficult with the deterioration of the disease, and the early prediction and intervention of AF is the key to curbing the deterioration of the disease. Based on this, in this study, by controlling the dose of acetylcholine, we changed the AF vulnerability of five mongrel dogs and tried to assess it by analyzing the electrophysiology of atrial epicardium under different states of sinus rhythm. Here, indices from four aspects were proposed to study the atrial activation rule. They are the variability of atrial activation rhythm, the change of the earliest atrial activation, the change of atrial activation delay and the left-right atrial dyssynchrony. By using binary logistic regression analysis, multiple indices above were transformed into the AF inducibility, which were used to classify the signals during sinus rhythm. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of classification reached 85.7%, 95.8% and 91.7%, respectively. As the experimental results show, the proposed method has the ability to assess the AF vulnerability of atrium, which is of great clinical significance for the early prediction and intervention of AF.
Objective The objective of this research was to develop a core traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes set for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). MethodsA dataset of TCM syndrome names via systematic review and medical records was developed, and common TCM syndromes classification for NVAF via cross-sectional study were identified. A questionnaire was then developed according to the results of cross-sectional study and the TCM syndrome names dataset. Two rounds of the Delphi survey were carried; clinicians, researchers of TCM/integrated medicine, and nurses were included in the Delphi survey. After a face to face consensus meeting, a core TCM syndromes set for NVAF was developed. ResultsThe core TCM syndromes set for NVAF included four core TCM syndromes, which involved qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome (core symptoms/signs: palpitations, chest distress or pain, dark purple tongue, or tongue with ecchymosis or petechial, irregular pulse or uneven pulse), heart-kidney yang deficiency syndrome (core symptoms/signs: palpitation, chest distress, fatigue, weakness, chills, pale complexion, frequent urination, wheezing, edema on the face or both lower extremities, oliguria, slippery pulse or slender pulse or deep pulse), qi and yin deficiency (core symptoms/signs: palpitation, chest distress, fatigue, shortness of breath, fine pulse, spontaneous perspiration, night sweats, forgetfulness, lassitude, red tongue, little or no moss on the tongue, and fine pulse), heart and spleen deficiency (core symptoms/signs: palpitation, chest tightness, spontaneous perspiration, abdominal distension after eating, loose stools, pale tongue, weak pulse). ConclusionsThe core TCM syndromes set of NVAF may improve the consistency of TCM syndromes efficacy evaluation in clinical trials of NVAF.
Objective To compare the effect of monopolar and bipolar radiofrequency ablation in patients with atrial fibrillation and concomitant rheumatic heart disease. Methods The clinical data of 261 patients who underwent valve replacement and radiofrequency Maze Ⅲ procedure in Shanghai First People's Hospital from 2010 to 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the radiofrequency ablation system, patients were assigned to a monopolar radiofrequency ablation group (n=209, 129 males, 80 females, aged 59.6±9.7 years) and a bipolar radiofrequency ablation group (n=52, 36 males, 16 females, aged 58.6±11.2 years). After procedures, clinical factors such as patients' basic information, perioperative complication and mortality, the elimination rate of atrial fibrillation were measured. Results There was no statistic difference in perioperative morbidity and mortality between two groups. The ablation time of the monopolar radiofrequency ablation group was longer than that of the bipolar group (29.7±3.3 minvs. 22.3±7.8 min,P=0.035). Postoperative diameter of left atrium was reduced in both groups. Compared with the monopolar radiofrequency ablation group, bipolar group had a better elimination rate of atrial fibrillation at three months and one year follow-up (82.0%vs. 66.3%,P=0.037; 80.0%vs. 59.6%,P=0.008). Conclusion Valve replacement combined with radiofrequency Maze Ⅲ procedure is safe and efficient. Compared with monopolar radiofrequency ablation, bipolar radiofrequency ablation has advantage on elimination rate of atrial fibrillation, ablation time and cardiopulmonary bypass time.
Atrial fibrillation is a common and refractory atrial arrhythmia. Changes of atrial mechanical circumstances are closely related to the occurrence and maintenance of atrial fibrillation. Mechanical factors can increase the automaticity, slow conduction velocity and shorten the effective refractory period of the atrium by causing electrical and structural remodeling, and eventually increase the inducibility of atrial fibrillation. The intracellular calcium level, function and structure of cytoskeleton, local renin-angiotensin system, integrin and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) pathway might take part in the process. Here we analyze and review the underlining mechano-electric feedback process of atrial fibrillation and its related research in order to provide a theoretical basis for further research and elucidating of the mechanical mechanism of atrial fibrillation.
ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical effect of Maze Ⅳ in the treatment of elderly patients with valvular heart disease and persistent atrial fibrillation (AF).MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 78 elderly patients with cardiac valve disease combined with persistent AF in our hospital from 2017 to 2018. The patients were allocated to two groups including a trial group (n=37) and a control group (n=41). There were 21 males and 16 females aged 61 to 74 (65.2±2.5) years in the trial group. There were 23 males and 18 females aged 62 to 76 (64.8±3.3) years in the control group. The clinical effects of the two groups were compared.ResultsThere was no statistical difference in baseline data between the two groups (P>0.05). The aortic occlusion time, extracorporeal circulation time, and operation time of the trial group were longer than those of the control group with statistical differences (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in postoperative ventilator assistance time, complication rate, mortality, ICU retention time, perioperative drainage, red blood cell transfusion volume, or length of hospital stay between the two groups (P>0.05). At the time of discharge, postoperaive 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month, the maintenance rates of sinus rhythm in the control group were statistically different from those of the trial group (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, left atrial diameter, left ventricular end diastolic diameter and the decrease of pulmonary artery systolic blood pressure were statistically different (P<0.05).ConclusionMaze Ⅳ is safe and effective in the treatment of elderly patients with valvular heart disease and persistent AF, which is conducive to the recovery and maintenance of sinus rhythm, and is beneficial to the remodeling of the left atrium and left ventricle and the reduction of pulmonary systolic blood pressure with improvement of life quality of the patients.
Objective To evaluate the clinical effects of bi-polar radiofrequency ablation (BRFA) for the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) in rheumatic heart disease (RHD) patients. Methods We involved 96 RHD patients who underwent valve replacement in Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China Hospital from July 2014 through May 2015. There were 74 patients with AF, 22 in sinus rhythm. All patients with AF were fully informed of BRFA, in which 40 of the 74 patients received while the other 34 patients refused. The 40 patients with AF who received BRFA were classified into a treatment group and the other 34 patients were classified into a control group. The 20 patients with sinus rhythm were classified into a blank group as well. The clinical effect and quality of life of the patients were analyzed. Results Left atrial diameter (LAD), pulmonary arterial systolic pressure (PASP), and conversion rate of sinus rhythm at discharge, maintenance rate of sinus rhythm during follow-up in patients with AF were significantly higher than those in the patients in sinus rhythm. No difference was found in terms of survival rate, mortality, major complications among the three groups. The treatment group experienced higher scores in physical functioning (PF), role-physical (RP), general health (GH), vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), mental health (MH), physical component summary (PCS), mental component summary(MCS) and total score compared with the control group both at postoperative 3-month and 6-month . At postoperative 12-month, the treatment group experienced higher scores in PF, RP, GH, PCS, and total score compared with the control group. Conclusion AF would enhance the negative impact on structure remodeling in RHD patients. BRFA is beneficial for the conversion and maintaining of sinus rhythm in RHD patients and the decreasing of LAD & PASP parameter as well. BRFA is more beneficial for the improvement of quality of life in RHD patients with AF during one-year follow-up.