Atrial fibrillation in patients with coronary heart disease: current state of the problem

Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common types of cardiac arrhythmia observed in clinical practice. Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment, atrial fibrillation remains one of the leading causes of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. In addition, atrial fibrillation is quite often combined with other pathologies of the cardiovascular system and is a marker of an unfavorable outcome. Several previous studies have demonstrated reduced survival in patients with coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation who have not undergone surgery for arrhythmia. According to other data, the presence of preoperative atrial fibrillation among patients undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting was associated with significantly higher rates of major postoperative complications. Nowadays, no one doubts the fact that atrial fibrillation during a coronary artery bypass surgery is a risk factor for increased hospital mortality, postoperative morbidity and leads to a decrease in the long-term survival. The studies confirm the necessity of surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation during coronary revascularization to reduce both short-term and long-term postoperative mortality and late complications.