European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery
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Eur J Cardiothorac Surg · Aug 2009
Preoperative atrial fibrillation decreases event-free survival following cardiac surgery.
To investigate the relationship between preoperative atrial fibrillation and early and late clinical outcomes following cardiac surgery. ⋯ Preoperative atrial fibrillation is associated with increased late mortality and recurrent cardiovascular events post-cardiac surgery. Effective management strategies for atrial fibrillation need to be explored and may provide an opportunity to improve the long-term outcomes of cardiac surgical patients.