J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999;118:383
© 1999 Mosby, Inc.
Atrial fibrillation after minimally invasive coronary artery bypass
Michael Nathanson, MD, PhD
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Santa Clara Valley Medical Center
751 S Bascom Ave
San Jose, CA 95128
12/8/99232
To the Editor:
The article by Cohn, Sirois, and Johnson
1 in the February 1999 issue of the Journal regarding minimally invasive coronary artery bypass (MIDCAB) versus conventional bypass is notable for its failure to specify the number of vessels with critical stenoses in each group vis-à-vis the difference in the number of anastomoses (1.1 vs 3.6). Therefore the issue of complete versus incomplete revascularization is open in regard to its potential contribution to equalizing the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation of both groups.
Noted also is a 9% incidence of "revision" for the group undergoing MIDCAB. The text does not elaborate on the nature of the "revision," its timing after the first surgical procedure, and the incidence of atrial fibrillation in that subset of patients. Without this information, one may not draw any inferences on the incidence and cause of postoperative atrial fibrillation in the MIDCAB group.
References
-
Cohn WE, Sirois CA, Johnson RG. Atrial fibrillation after minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting: a retrospective matched study. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1999;117:298-301. [Abstract/Free Full Text]
