Atrioesophageal Fistula After Surgical Unipolar Radiofrequency Atrial Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in the United States. Procedural treatment options such as the MAZE procedure and radiofrequency ablation are available with reasonable success rates. However, there are risks inherent to these procedures, with atrioesophageal fistula being a rare but devastating complication. We report a patient with atrioesophageal fistula who presented with neurologic symptoms 20 days after her initial MAZE procedure, followed by a quick decline within 24 hours of presentation. (Ann Thorac Surg 2013;95:e61-2) (C) 2013 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons