Does the intraoperative use of an IABP affect the occurrence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in patients undergoing CABG?
Intraoperative use of an intra-aortic balloon pump during CABG does not appear to influence the risk of developing postoperative atrial fibrillation.
In Reply. —In our study of 2417 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery at 24 McSPI sites, there was no association (relative risk RR, 0.95; 95% confidence interval CI, 0.72-1.27) between the intraoperative use of an IABP and the occurrence of postoperative AF. In the study by Aranki et al,1only 25 patients were treated with an IABP, whereas in our larger study, 142 patients required an intraoperative IABP.
Reg Parks (Wed,) studied this question.