BackgroundCatheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation yields an unsatisfactorily high number of failures. The hybrid approach has recently emerged as a technique that overcomes the limitations of both surgical and catheter procedures alone.Methods and ResultsWe investigated the sequential (staged) hybrid method, which consists of a surgical thoracoscopic radiofrequency ablation procedure followed by radiofrequency catheter ablation 6 to 8 weeks later using the CARTO 3 mapping system. Fifty consecutive patients (mean age 62±7 years, 32 males) with long‐standing persistent atrial fibrillation (41±34 months) and a dilated left atrium (>45 mm) were included and prospectively followed in an unblinded registry. During the electrophysiological part of the study, all 4 pulmonary veins were found to be isolated in 36 (72%) patients and a complete box‐lesion was confirmed in 14 (28%) patients. All gaps were successfully re‐ablated. Twelve months after the completed hybrid ablation, 47 patients (94%) were in normal sinus rhythm (4 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation required propafenone and 1 patient underwent a redo catheter procedure). The majority of arrhythmias recurred during the first 3 months. Beyond 12 months, there were no arrhythmia recurrences detected. The surgical part of the procedure was complicated by 7 (13.7%) major complications, while no serious adverse events were recorded during the radiofrequency catheter part of the procedure.ConclusionsThe staged hybrid epicardial–endocardial treatment of long‐standing persistent atrial fibrillation seems to be extremely effective in maintenance of normal sinus rhythm compared to radiofrequency catheter or surgical ablation alone. Epicardial ablation alone cannot guarantee durable transmural lesions.Clinical Trial RegistrationURL: www.ablace.cz Unique identifier: cz‐060520121617

The sequential, two-staged hybrid strategy (surgical thoracoscopic followed by catheter ablation) is feasible and safe with a high post-procedural success and seems to represent the optimal treatment with low risk load and potentially long-term benefit for patients with a persistent and long-standing persistent form atrial fibrillation.

BackgroundFactors influencing the postoperative health-related quality of life (HRQOL) after cardiac surgery have not been well described yet, mainly in the older people. The study’s aim was to explore differences in clinical conditions and HRQOL of patients before and after cardiac surgery taking into account the influence of age and to describe factors influencing changes of HRQOL in the postoperative period.MethodsThis was a prospective consecutive observational study with two measurements using the SF-36 questionnaire before surgery and 1 year after surgery. It considered main clinical characteristics of participants prior to surgery as well as postoperative complications.ResultsAt baseline assessment the study considered 310 patients, predominantly male (69%). Mean age was 65 (SD 10.4) years and 101 patients (33%), who were older than 70, constituted the older group. This older group showed greater comorbidity, higher cardiac operative risk and lower HRQOL in the preoperative period as well as a higher prevalence of postoperative complications than the younger group. Thirty-day mortality was 1.4% in the younger group and 6.9% in the older group (p < 0.001). One year mortality was 3.3% in the younger group and 10.9% in the older group (p < 0.001). There was a significant improvement in all 8 health domains of the SF-36 questionnaire (p < 0.001) in the overall sample. There was no significant difference in change in a majority of HRQOL domains between the younger and the older group (p > 0.05). Logistic multivariate analysis identified a higher values of preoperative PCS (Physical component summary) scores (OR 1.03, CI 1.00 – 1.05, p = 0.0187) and MCS (Mental component summary) scores (OR 1.02, CI 0.997 – 1.00, p = 0.0846) as the only risk factors for potential non-improvement of HRQOL after cardiac surgery after correction for age, gender and type of surgery.ConclusionsOlder patients with higher operative risk have lower preoperative HRQOL but show a similar improvement in a majority of HRQOL domains after cardiac surgery as compared with younger patients. The multivariate analysis has shown the higher preoperative HRQOL status as a only significant factor of potential non-improvement of postoperative HRQOL.

Ablation lines created using surgical CryoMaze are often incomplete. Sequential surgical CryoMaze procedures followed by catheter ablation significantly increase freedom from arrhythmia in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation.