INTRODUCTION: The intraoperative atrial compartmentalization was done in 27 patients, utilizing ultrasound energy (US). This source has been more effective in creating deeper and uniform atrial line lesions, without causing carbonization. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From March 1999 to June 2000, 27 patients (19 females) averaging 36 years old were submitted to this operation. Five were operated for the second time due to mitral valve disorders, 2 for mixomatose valve degenerations, 1 for congenital defect and 1 for lone atrial fibrillation. RESULTS: The procedure takes 166.6 minutes on average, in each surgery, that is 69.2 minutes for the cardiopulmonary bypass, 39.7 minutes for cardiac arrest by aorta clamping, 12.5 minutes for the right atrial lesion lines and 14 minutes for the left one. The reversion to sinus rhythm was achieved in 24 patients. In 2 the reversion was not obtained and in 1 transient total atrium-ventricular block was observed. No explanation was found for the failure to revert the 2 patients, since both were primarily phase submitted to valve repair operation and the atrium was not very enlarged. In the postoperative phase, atrial fibrillation recurrence was observed in 2 patients and two deaths occurred cuased by pulmonary problem and cardiogenic shock unrelated to the technique. The success rate at the hospital discharge was 81.4%. To all patients were given verapamil or amiodarone for electrical atrium remodeling. CONCLUSION: The use of US during mitral valve operation to compartmentalize the atrium, in patients with CAF, makes the reversion to sinus rhythm so easy and fast that is possible to consider employing this technique in patients having CAF associated to other surgical cardiac diseases. The use of US, during cardiac operation, to create the atrial line lesion, modifies and makes easier the Maze procedure, causes less tissue damage, decreases the surgical time and the chance for postoperative complications.
Atrial fibrillation; Arrhythmia; Cardiac surgical procedures
