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Ann Thorac Surg 1997;64:394-398
© 1997 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Third Department of Surgery, Second Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Iwate, and Department of Public Health, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan
Accepted for publication January 22, 1997.
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Abstract |
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 TopFootnotes Abstract IntroductionPatients and MethodsResultsCommentAcknowledgmentsReferences |
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Methods. Between March 1993 and June 1995, we evaluated retrospectively 96 consecutive patients who underwent the maze procedure (maze III) in combination with another type of cardiac operation. Four patients who died and 6 patients who required permanent pacemaker implantation because of sick sinus syndrome were excluded. Ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring was evaluated 1 year after operation. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the predictors of sinus rhythm restoration.
Results. The final population comprised 86 patients (mean age, 59.8 years; 67 patients with mitral valve disease). Overall, sinus rhythm was restored in 68 of 86 patients (79.1%). The magnitude of the atrial fibrillatory wave positively predicted postoperative sinus rhythm restoration. Conversely, left atrial diameter was inversely related to postoperative sinus rhythm restoration. The odds ratio of having both a fine atrial fibrillatory wave (<1.0 mm) and enlarged left atrial diameter (
65 mm) for patients with sinus rhythm restoration was 0.04 (95% confidence interval, 0.01 to 0.28).
Conclusions. Atrial fibrillatory wave and left atrial diameter were independent predictors of sinus rhythm restoration after the maze procedure in patients with chronic atrial fibrillation and organic heart disease.
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Introduction |
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TopFootnotesAbstractIntroductionPatients and MethodsResultsCommentAcknowledgmentsReferences |
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In this study, we use multiple logistic regression analysis to identify predictors of sinus rhythm restoration after the maze procedure.
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Patients and Methods |
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TopFootnotesAbstractIntroductionPatients and MethodsResultsCommentAcknowledgmentsReferences |
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This study was approved by Iwate Medical University Hospital Ethics Committee, and informed consent was obtained from all patients.
Maze Procedure
The operative procedure is fundamentally the same as that initially described by Cox [4], and basic atriotomies are performed according to Cox's second modification of his original procedure (maze III) [11]. After total cardiopulmonary bypass is established and cardioplegic arrest is obtained, left atriotomy is performed. The standard left atriotomy is extended inferiorly and superiorly around the left superior and inferior pulmonary veins. The left atrial appendage is excised. A cryoprobe is applied to tissue inferior to the excised atrial appendage and connecting the left atriotomy. A line of endocardial tissue, extending from the pulmonary vein isolation incision to the mitral valve annulus is cryoprobed. The left atriotomy is closed halfway and the mitral valve procedure is performed at this time if needed. After the closure of left atriotomy is completed, caval snares are tightened and the right atrial appendage is excised. A lateral incision, parallel to the right atrioventricular groove, is made. In our institution a line of incision for posterior longitudinal right atriotomy is replaced by longitudinal cryolesion. Some right atrial incisions of the maze III procedure are replaced by cryoablation. We use cryoablation over the atrial septal area between the coronary sinus and the inferior vena cava.
Electrocardiography
Standard 12-lead electrocardiography was performed in each patient before operation. All electrocardiograms were standardized to normal speed (25 mm/min) and sensitivity (1 mV input produced a 10-mm deflection). The atrial fibrillatory wave with the greatest size was measured in lead V1 for at least 10 cardiac cycles. It was measured from the upper edge of the peak to the upper edge of the trough and was expressed in millimeters according to the method described by Peter and colleagues [12]. Coarse atrial fibrillatory wave was defined as any fibrillatory wave in lead V1 with an amplitude 1.0 mm or more, whereas those with all fibrillatory waves in V1 less than 1.0 mm were designated as fine atrial fibrillatory wave. A single coarse fibrillatory wave in lead V1 was considered sufficient to classify the patient as having coarse atrial fibrillatory wave. The influences of the artifact on the baseline and the T or U waves were carefully excluded. All measurements were performed by two independent observers.
Echocardiography
Echocardiographic examinations were performed in all patients with a cardiac ultrasound imaging system (77035A; Hewlett Packard Co, MA) before operation. Left atrial diameter, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left ventricular ejection fraction, and percent fractional shortening were measured in a standard manner by M-mode tracing taken from two-dimensional parasternal long-axis views.
Cardiac Catheterization
Serial hemodynamics were measured in all patients with a clinical polygraph system (RMC-2000; Nihon Kohden Co, Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) and a cardiac output computer (MTC-6210; Nihon Kohden) before operation. The parameters measured were left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, mean pulmonary artery wedge pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, mean right atrial pressure, and cardiac index.
Ambulatory Electrocardiographic Monitoring
Ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring (SCM-280; Fukuda Denshi Co, Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) and standard 12-lead electrocardiography were performed in each patient approximately 1 year after operation [10]. In the present study the patients were classified into two groups according to postoperative sinus rhythm restoration: successful restoration (group A) and unsuccessful restoration (group B). Group B included persistent atrial fibrillation and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
Study Variables
We examined 15 preoperative parameters as possible predictors for sinus rhythm restoration after the maze procedure (age, sex, duration of atrial fibrillation, previous cardiac operation, New York Heart Association functional class, atrial fibrillatory wave, left atrial diameter, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left ventricular ejection fraction, percent fractional shortening, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, mean pulmonary artery wedge pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, mean right atrial pressure, and cardiac index). We measured all parameters before operation. We emphasize that there is no measurement bias.
Statistical Analysis
The association between each study variable and sinus rhythm restoration was examined first by bivariate analysis. For continuous variables, the difference between mean values was examined by Student's unpaired t test. For categoric variables, difference in the distribution of the variables was examined by the 
2 test.
The significant variables determined by bivariate analysis were then included in the model for multiple logistic regression analysis. In this analysis, these continuous variables were converted into dummy variables of dichotomy or trichotomy. In calculating the odds ratio for postoperative sinus rhythm restoration for each study variable, we treated the group of patients with better preoperative status as the reference group. The odds ratio, along with the 95% confidence interval, was derived from the coefficient and the standard error. For all statistical analyses, p values of less than 0.05 were considered significant. SAS system [13] was used for all statistical calculations.
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Results |
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TopFootnotesAbstractIntroductionPatients and MethodsResultsCommentAcknowledgmentsReferences |
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. The final population comprised 86 patients, 41 men and 45 women, with ages ranging from 40 to 77 years (mean, 59.8 ± 9.8 years). The mean duration of atrial fibrillation before operation was 10.2 ± 7.8 years (range, 0.4 to 47.0; median (interquartile range), 9.6 (4.3 to 14.6)). All patients had organic heart disease (67 with mitral valve disease, 8 with congenital heart disease, 7 with aortic valve disease, and 4 others). Five patients had had previous cardiac operations (5.8%). The operations performed in conjunction with the maze procedure are as follows: mitral valve repair, 31 patients; open mitral commissurotomy, 10; mitral valve replacement, 26; aortic valve repair, 1; aortic valve replacement, 6; atrial septal defect closure, 6; ventricular septal defect closure, 1; patent ductus arteriosus division, 1; coronary artery bypass grafting, 1; myxoma resection, 1; Valsalva closure, 1; and pericardiectomy, 1.
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The above variables plus age were included in a model of logistic regression analysis. First, the association between each preoperative state and sinus rhythm restoration was examined quantitatively. In this analysis, the patients were classified into three groups according to the intertrisection range for each variable. As referenced to the patients with better preoperative state, odds ratio for postoperative sinus rhythm restoration decreased gradually in accordance with worse preoperative state for each variable (atrial fibrillatory wave, left atrial diameter, mean pulmonary artery wedge pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and mean right atrial pressure). The 2 test for linear trend was significant in these variables, suggesting that there were dose–response relationship between the magnitude of the above preoperative parameters and the odds for postoperative sinus rhythm restoration (Table 2).
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As shown in Table 3, the results indicated that the atrial fibrillatory wave and left atrial diameter were the significant predictors of sinus rhythm restoration. Mean pulmonary artery wedge pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and mean right atrial pressure did not become significant predictors of sinus rhythm restoration when the effect of other variables was controlled for. These findings were attributable to the fact that these parameters had high correlation with atrial fibrillatory wave and left atrial diameter. The magnitude of the atrial fibrillatory wave positively predicted postoperative sinus rhythm restoration. Conversely, left atrial diameter was inversely related to postoperative sinus rhythm restoration. The odds ratio of a fine atrial fibrillatory wave (<1.0 mm) for sinus rhythm restoration was 0.14 (95% confidence interval, 0.03 to 0.57). The odds ratio of an enlarged left atrium (65 mm) for sinus rhythm restoration was 0.21 (95% confidence interval, 0.05 to 0.87) (Table 3).
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). In this model, four categories were constructed according to the atrial fibrillatory wave and the left atrial diameter. Patients with both a coarse atrial fibrillatory wave (1.0 mm) and a medium-sized left atrial diameter (<65 mm) were treated as the reference group). The odds ratio was calculated with a logistic regression model adjusted for the effects of age, mean pulmonary artery wedge pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and mean right atrial pressure. The model revealed that the odds ratio of having both a fine atrial fibrillatory wave (<1.0 mm) and enlarged left atrial diameter (65 mm) for sinus rhythm restoration was 0.04 (95% confidence interval, 0.01 to 0.28).
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Comment |
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TopFootnotesAbstractIntroductionPatients and MethodsResultsCommentAcknowledgmentsReferences |
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65 mm) for patients with sinus rhythm restoration was 0.04 (95% confidence interval, 0.01 to 0.28). Cox and colleagues [14] have reported a high rate of sinus rhythm restoration. However, 50% of their patients had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and 75% had idiopathic lone atrial fibrillation. In Japan in general the maze procedure is not performed on patients with lone atrial fibrillation. Therefore, we applied the Cox maze procedure to patients with organic heart diseases and atrial fibrillation. The baseline characteristics of the patients in this study differ greatly from the patients studied by Cox.
There has been substantial agreement that direct current cardioversion after open commissurotomy for mitral stenosis is effective in patients who have had atrial fibrillation for 1 year or less and patients whose cardiothoracic ratio is less than 60% [8]. However, in our 86 patients, the mean duration of atrial fibrillation before operation was more than 10 years. Also, the mean preoperative cardiothoracic ratio was more than 60%.
The success rate of the maze procedure tended to be lower in patients with mitral valve disease. Among the patients with mitral valve disease, however, the probability of sinus rhythm restoration was not associated with its clinical type such as mitral stenosis and mitral regurgitation. The success rate of sinus rhythm restoration in patients with rheumatic disease was similar to the success rate in patients with degenerative disease.
Electrocardiographically, atrial fibrillation is characterized by disorganized atrial electrical activity and is classified into coarse or fine according to the atrial fibrillatory wave amplitude. Various workers have studied the relation between the left atrial size and the atrial fibrillatory wave amplitude [15, 16]. However, the relation could not be established. The atrial fibrillatory wave amplitude is mainly affected by the state of the heart, especially the atrium, such as atrial fibrosis and degeneration as well as the atrial size. With prolongation of atrial fibrillation, the atrial electric motive force is considered to decrease as a result of progression of atrial dilatation [17], loss of atrial muscle mass, and atrial fibrosis [18, 19], as well as degeneration of the atrial myocardium due to underlying disorders. Previously, we reported that the intraoperative atrial epicardial mapping data [20] were useful for predicting sinus rhythm restoration after the maze procedure. Preoperative average peak-to-peak atrial amplitude during atrial fibrillation in patients with restored sinus rhythm were significantly higher than in patients with persistent postoperative atrial fibrillation.
Segawa and colleagues [21] have reported that the atrium showed severe degeneration and fibrosis in patients who had persistent atrial fibrillation after the maze procedure by pathologic analysis. This finding suggests that sinus rhythm restoration cannot be expected in cases where the atrium is expanded by disease to the point of degeneration and fibrosis. In fact, we noticed in our patients that the walls of large left atria were very thin on inspection at operation.
The present results suggest that the indication for the maze procedure at the same time as another cardiac operation requires caution when the atrial fibrillatory wave is less than 1.0 mm and the left atrial diameter exceeds 65 mm.
Further follow-up studies of atrial mechanical function [22–24], the incidence of thromboembolic events, and the evaluation of quality of life are needed to assess the Cox maze procedure in patients undergoing concomitant surgical treatment. A prospective, randomized trial may help to better define the criteria for the maze procedure.
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Acknowledgments |
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TopFootnotesAbstractIntroductionPatients and MethodsResultsCommentAcknowledgmentsReferences |
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Footnotes |
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TopFootnotesAbstractIntroductionPatients and MethodsResultsCommentAcknowledgmentsReferences |
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References |
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TopFootnotesAbstractIntroductionPatients and MethodsResultsCommentAcknowledgmentsReferences |
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