Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation
"The Big Little Problem"
Surgery
Coronary Artery By-pass Graft (CABG)
Valve Repair
Valve Replacement
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 40-60% of patients
-
There are no diagnostic tools to identify which patients will experience POAF
POAF Stakeholders
-
Patients
- Providers: Hospitals (Institutions) and Physicians (CVS Surgeons, Critical Care Teams, Perioperative Specialist
- Payers (Government and Commercial Insurers)