Atrial fibrillation after lung cancer surgery: incidence, severity, and risk factors.

PURPOSE: Atrial fibrillation (Af) is a common post-operative cardiac complication after lung cancer surgery; however, the type of lung cancer surgery being performed has evolved, remarkably, into minimally invasive surgical procedures. The purpose of this study was to quantify the incidence and severity of post-operative Af and to identify the risk factors for Af, using a recent cohort of lung cancer surgery patients. METHODS: We reviewed, retrospectively, the medical records of 593 patients, who underwent lung cancer surgery between 2011 and 2013, for the development of post-operative Af. RESULTS: The overall incidence of post-operative Af in our study was 6.4 % (38/593). Three (8 %) of these 38 patients, subsequently, suffered brain infarction. Multivariate analysis revealed that mediastinal lymph node dissection (OR ND-2/ND-0-1 = 3.06; 95 % CI 1.06-10.9) was associated with the development of post-operative Af. CONCLUSION: Omission of mediastinal lymph dissection for patients with early stage lung cancer and a high risk of Af should be considered to prevent post-operative Af.