Biatrial Volume Reduction Surgery in Management of Atrial Fibrillation

AIM: In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the efficiency of biatrial volume reduction surgery and investigate the outcomes of the atrial mass decrease in the treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) among the patients with a significant increase in atrial diameter.It is performed together with mitral and tricuspid valve surgery together with the ablation procedure in patients with AF.METHODS: Between March 2012 and January 2015, twenty-three cases with mitral valvular pathology with coexisting AF and biatrial dilatation treated with biatrial volume reduction operation along with the mitral and tricuspid valve surgery were included the study.Preoperative and postoperative data were retrospectively evaluated.RESULTS: Out of twenty-three patients, twelve patients were applied tricuspid ring annuloplasty and eleven patients were treated with DeVega annuloplasty.Mitral valve replacement (MVR) process was performed in all 23 patients.Biatrial volume reduction was done in all patients.While the preoperative left and right atrial diameters were 70±20 mm and 65±21 mm, the average of postoperative left atrial and right atrial diameters were measured 50±14 mm and 45±8 mm respectively.Sinus rhythm was achieved in all patients at the end of the operations.CONCLUSION: One of the important factors affecting the success of the treatment of AF is the atrium diameter.The sizes of both atria in the electrophysiological studies are seen as the most important factor for the development of permanent AF.Atrial volume reduction operations are thought to be necessary for the achievement of sinus rhythm.