Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation

Postoperative Surgical Recovery

or ICU

• Postoperative or paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs after surgery while the patient is in recovery or ICU
• Persistent postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) may require additional staff to adequately treat the arrhythmia.
• Ablation and/or a pacemaker for more persistent AF

Atrial Fibrillation – Most Common Arrhythmia

• Affects the upper chambers of the heart (atria)
• Rapid heartbeat
• Chaotic, irregular quivering of the atria
• Heart pumps blood poorly
• Pooling may form a clot

Clinical Risk

• While acute atrial fibrillation (AF) may sometimes be clinically silent, it’s not benign!
• Postoperative (POAF) atrial fibrillation in the acute setting may transition to persistent or permanent (chronic) AF and result in debilitating symptoms
• If left untreated, POAF can increase the risk of heart failure, stroke, ventricular arrhythmias, and mortality
• AF is associated with a five-fold risk of stroke

• POAF is a “must treat” medical situation!

Prevalence

• Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common complication from cardiovascular surgery, occurring in up to 60% of patients

• There are no diagnostic tools to identify which patients will experience POAF