Surgical Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation in High-risk Patients: High Success Rates without Risk Escalation, Data from the CASE-AF Registry.

This article discusses the outcomes of surgical atrial ablation in high-risk patients (HRP) with atrial fibrillation. The study analyzed the 2-year survival and rhythm endpoints of 1000 patients based on their operative risk classification. The results showed that HRP had higher rates of low left ventricular ejection fraction, but similar left atrial diameter and left ventricular end-diastolic diameter compared to low-risk patients. The study found that ablation procedures did not increase the risk of mortality, stroke, or myocardial infarction in HRP. Additionally, high rates of freedom from atrial fibrillation and symptom relief were achieved in HRP. The authors conclude that preoperative risk scores should not deter physicians from performing ablation procedures in high-risk patients. [Extracted from the article]