Atrial fibrillation after surgery for esophageal carcinoma:Clinical and prognostic significance

AIM:To retrospectively evaluate the clinical relevance,perioperative risk factors,outcome of differentpharmacological prophylaxis,and short-term prognosticvalue of atrial fibrillation(AF)after surgery foresophageal carcinoma.METHODS:We retrospectively studied 63 patients withAF after surgery for esophageal carcinoma in comparisonwith 126 patients without AF after esophagectomyduring the same time.Postoperative AF incidence wasrelated to different clinical factors possibly involved in itsoccurrence and short-term survival.RESULTS:A strong relationship was observed betweenAF and postoperative hypoxia,history of chronicobstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),postoperativethoracic-gastric dilatation,age older than 65 years,malesex and history of cardiac disease.No difference wasobserved between the two groups with regard to short-term mortality and length of hospital stay.CONCLUSIONS:AF occurs more frequently afteresophagectomy in aged and male patients.Other factorscontributing to postoperative AF are history of COPD andcardiac disease,postoperative hypoxia and thoracic-gastric dilatation.