Recurrent atrial arrhythmias following treatment for postoperative atrial fibrillation after coronary bypass operations

Ambulatory Holter monitoring was performed in 58 patients during the early convalescence after myocardial revascularization in order to determine the incidence of recurrent atrial arrhythmias following treatment for postoperative atrial fibrillation. Fifteen patients who had undergone coronary bypass and had not developed spontaneous atrial fibrillation following operation served as the controls (group 1). The remaining patients developed spontaneous symptomatic atrial fibrillation after coronary bypass that required digitalization for rate control. Sixteen patients (group 2) continued taking digoxin for 8 weeks following operation, 13 patients (group 3) discontinued digoxin treatment 5 weeks following operation, and 14 patients (group 4) discontinued digoxin treatment 3 weeks following operation. Twenty-four-hour Holter monitoring indicated that asymptomatic atrial fibrillation was common in the treatment groups after digitalization just before discharge from hospital. Atrial fibrillation, however, rarely recurred following discharge from hospital and was never symptomatic. Our data indicate that patients who develop spontaneous postoperative atrial fibrillation should be treated with digoxin for 3 weeks following operation and then drug therapy may be discontinued indefinitely.