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The 2 lesion sets (left atrial and BA) are associated with similar 30-day mortality, survival rates, incidences of embolic events and atrioventricular conduction disturbances. In patients with persistent atrial fibrillation, concomitant surgical ablation with BA lesion set provided better freedom from atrial arrhythmia recurrence, but BA ablation was associated with a higher incidence of sinus node dysfunction and a higher rate of pacemaker implantation.

Continuous monitoring of cardiac rhythm may play an important role in measuring the true symptomatic/asymptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) burden and improve the management of anti-arrhythmic and anti-thrombotic therapies. Forty-seven patients with mitral valve disease and longstanding persistent AF (LSPAF) underwent a left atrial maze procedure with bipolar radiofrequency and valve surgery. The follow-up data recorded by an implanted loop recorder were analysed after 3, 6 and 12 months. On discharge, 40 (85.1%) patients were in stable sinus rhythm, as documented by in-office electrocardiography (ECG), 4 (8.5%) were in pacemaker rhythm and 3 (6.4%) were in AF. One (2.1%) patient died after 7 months. On 12-month follow-up examination, 30 (65.2%) patients had an AF burden <0.5% and were classified as responders. Three (6.5%) of the 16 non-responders had atrial flutter and 13 (27.7%) had documented AF recurrences with an AF burden >0.5%. Two (4.3%) patients with AF recurrences were completely asymptomatic. Among the symptomatic events stored by the patients, only 27.6% was confirmed as genuine AF recurrences according to the concomitant ECG recorded by the implanted loop recorder. A concomitant bipolar maze procedure during mitral valve surgery is effective in treating AF, as proved by detailed 1-year continuous monitoring.

For patients undergoing the Ross procedure, a combination of bicuspid aortic valves and aortic insufficiency is the main risk factor for late autograft dilatation and dysfunction.

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