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Results Of Surgical Ablation For Atrial Fibrillation In Patients With Rheumatic Heart Disease, Turki B. Albacker, Sultan Alaamro, Abdulaziz M Alhothali, Amr A Arafat, Khaled D Algarni, Ahmed Eldemerdash, Bakir M Bakir

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background There is conflicting evidence regarding the success of the Maze procedure to restore sinus rhythm in patients with rheumatic heart disease. Hence, the aim of our study was to describe the results of surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients with rheumatic heart disease undergoing cardiac surgery. Methods This is a retrospective study that included adult patients with rheumatic heart disease who underwent surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation. The ablation lesions were performed using monopolar radiofrequency ablation in all patients. Results Fifty-seven consecutive patients were included in the study. Cox Maze IV was performed in 44 patients (77%), while …