New-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation after total arch repair is associated with increased in-hospital mortality

Abstract

BACKGROUND: It is well established that postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is associated with adverse postoperative outcomes after major cardiac operations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of new-onset POAF after successful total arch repair surgery and the association between POAF and in-hospital mortality. METHODS AND RESULTS: All consecutive patients undergoing total arch repair from September 2012 to December 2019 in Fuwai hospital were enrolled (n=1280). Patients diagnosed with preoperative atrial fibrillation were excluded. POAF was diagnosed as the new-onset atrial fibrillation or flutter for more than 5 minutes based on continuous electrocardiogram monitoring. A logistic regression model was used to determine predictors of in-hospital mortality. Multivariable adjustment, inverse probability of treatment weighting, and propensity score matching were used to adjust for confounders. POAF was diagnosed in 32.3% (411/1271) of this cohort population. The occurrence of new-onset POAF was associated with age (odds ratio [OR], 1.05; 95% CI, 1.04–1.06; P<0.001), male sex (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.52– 0.98; P=0.035), and surgery duration (OR, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.12–1.28; P<0.001). The in-hospital mortality was significantly higher in patients with POAF than those without POAF (10.7% versus 2.4%, P<0.001). Inverse probability of treatment weighting and propensity score matching analyses confirmed the results. The increased in-hospital mortality in POAF group still existed among subgroup analysis based on different age, sex, hypertension, smoking, and hypokalemia, combined with cardiac surgery, and deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. CONCLUSIONS: More careful attention should be given to POAF after total arch repair surgery. The incidence of POAF after total arch repair surgery was 32.3% and associated with increased in-hospital mortality. The elderly female patient who experi-enced longer operation duration was at highest risk for POAF.