Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation

In current practice, surgical treatment is rarely used in the management of patients with ventricu lar tachycardia, although revascularization can eliminate ischemic substrate, and wide subendocardial scar excision with ventricular aneurysmectomy can cure reentrant monomorphic ventricular tachycardia.1,2 Similarly, catheter-based methods are generally preferred over surgical interruption of supraventricular arrhythmias caused by accessory pathways.3,4 Atrial fibrillation (AF), however, is commonly encountered in patients having cardiac operations, and there has been considerable progress during the last decade in direct surgical treatment of this arrhythmia. This chapter will focus on indications, techniques, and outcomes of surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation.