Increasing Occurrence of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in Contemporary Cardiac Surgery

The authors report high, 10% to 20% greater than previously described, occurrence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in contemporary patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Most patients with postoperative atrial fibrillation experienced prolonged duration or recurrence of the arrhythmia. The type of surgery, advanced age, and previous atrial fibrillation were the most important risk factors.