Five-year-outcome of new-onset perioperative atrial fibrillation after left atrial appendage amputation concomitant with cardiac surgery

Background Recent data demonstrated the benefit of left atrial appendage (LAA)-amputation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the long-term impact of LAA-amputation for patients with new-onset perioperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is still unknown. Methods Patients with no history of AF undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting by off-pump technique (OPCAB) between 2014 and 2016 were retrospectively examined. Cohorts were divided by the concomitant execution of LAA-amputation. Propensity score (PS) matching was applied by all available baseline characteristics. The composite of all-cause mortality, stroke and rehospitalization in patients with POAF and patients maintaining sinus rhythm posed as the primary endpoint. Results A total of 1522 patients were enrolled, of whom 1208 and 243 were included in the control and the LAA-amputation group, respectively and were matched to 243 patients in each group. In total, patients with POAF without LAA-amputation showed a significantly higher rate of the composite endpoint (17.3% vs 32.1%, p = 0.007). However, patients with LAA-amputation showed no significant difference in the composite endpoint (23.2% vs 26.7%, p = 0.57). The significantly higher occurrence of the composite endpoint was driven by all-cause mortality (p = 0.005) and rehospitalization (p = 0.029). Subgroup analysis revealed a CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc-score of ≥ 3 to be associated with the high rate of the primary endpoint (p = 0.004). Conclusion POAF is associated with a higher rate of the combined endpoint of all-cause mortality, stroke and rehospitalization. The composite endpoint in patients with LAA-amputation concomitant with OPCAB surgery developing new-onset POAF in a 5-year follow-up was not increased compared to a control cohort maintaining sinus rhythm. Graphical abstract Five-year outcome of patients with POAF and LAA-amputation; 95% CI , 95% confidence interval, CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, ECLS, extracorporeal life support, HR, hazard ratio, IABP , intra-aortic balloon pump, LAA , left atrial appendage, OPCAB , off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting, PAPs , systolic pulmonary artery pressure, SR , sinus rhythm, VT, ventricular tachycardia.