ABSTRACT
Objective: To explore the clinical efficacy of surgical radiofrequency ablation-modified Maze procedure in treating atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with large left atrial heart valve disease. Methods: A total of 267 patients received cardiac valve replacement and radiofrequency ablation-modified Maze procedure at the same time in our hospital from 2014-01 to 2015-15 were retrospectively studied. Based on the size of left atril, patients were divided into 2 groups: Group A, patients with left atrial size<60 mm, n=182 and Group B, patients with left atrial size≥60 mm, n=85. All patients were followed-up for 6 months after operation, clinical efficacy of surgical radiofrequency ablation-modified Maze procedure in treating AF was compared between 2 groups. Results: ①All patients were successfully completed the operation, radiofrequency ablation time was similar between Group A and Group B [18-32 (24±4) min] vs [22-38 (25±6)min], P>0.05. ②The ratios for recovering to sinus rhythm at the end of operation and discharge in Group A were 156/182 (86%) and 152 (84%), in Group B were 56/85 (66%) and 54 (64%); at 3 and 6 months post-operation in Group A were 149/182 (81.6%) and 146 (80.2%), in Group B were 48/85 (56.4%) and 46 (54.1%), all P<0.05. ③No patients needed installing permanent pacemaker, no operative mortality and no ablation related complications.Conclusion: Radiofrequency ablation-modified Maze procedure was safe, simple and effective in treating heart valve disease complicated AF, the effect in patients with left atrial ≥60 mm was inferior than left atrial<60mm; it could be used in clinical practice.