Prophylactic Radiofrequency Left Atrial Posterior Wall Isolation to Prevent Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is a common complication after heart surgery that occurs in 10-60% of patients. It can cause hypotension, tachycardia, stroke, systemic embolism, or heart failure, and is associated with increased mortality rates, prolonged hospital stays and increased costs. Several studies have investigated the use of radiofrequency ablation (the standard of surgical care for atrial fibrillation during concomitant cardiac surgery when the diagnosis is known preoperatively) to prevent POAF. However, these studies were limited mainly to pulmonary vein isolation and had methodological limitations such as small sample sizes, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and randomization procedures, and have not translated into clinical practice changes. The current study aims to investigate the use of radiofrequency left atrial posterior wall isolation, also known as box lesion ablation, as a more effective treatment compared to pulmonary vein isolation, in a properly designed randomized controlled trial.