Background: Supraventricular cardiac arrhythmias are
the most common rhythm disturbances in patients following
thoracic surgery. The purpose of our study was to
determine which of the clinical parameters are the most
valuable in predicting postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF)
after lung surgery.
Methods: Retrospective analysis was carried out on
987 patients after noncardiac thoracic surgery to define the
prevalence, associated risk factors, and clinical course of postoperative
arrhythmias. There were 822 men and 165 women,
age 34 to 78 years (mean age: 61 ± 8 years). The patients
were divided into two groups depending on the occurrence
or absence of supraventricular arrhythmia. Group I consisted
of 876 patients who were free from rhythm disturbances. The
remaining 111 patients exhibited episodes of supraventricular
arrhythmia (29 supraventricular tachycardia; 82 AF). These
111 patients were placed in Group II. Preoperative, operative,
and postoperative data were reviewed. Statistical analysis
was performed.
Results: A statistically significant difference was found
between the two groups in age, previous history of heart disease,
and lung resection, especially pneumonectomy. Conclusion:
Age, history of prior heart disease, lung resection, and
the extent of pulmonary resection are the main risk factors for
postoperative supraventricular arrhythmia in patients undergoing
major thoracic operations.