Affiliation:
1. From the Department of Cardiology (S.L., P.B., C.B.-L.) and the Department of Thoracic Surgery (L.N., S.O., L.J.), Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
Abstract
Background—Maze surgery for atrial fibrillation (AF) is a curative therapy, but its effect on health-related quality of life has not been studied.Methods and Results—Maze operations were performed in 48 patients with drug-refractory AF. The majority of patients (80%) had lone AF, and the primary indication for surgery in all patients was AF. The SF-36 Health Survey was used to assess quality of life before operation and at 6 months and 1 year after surgery. Twenty-five patients were available for the 1-year follow-up and completed all questionnaires. Before maze surgery, the SF-36 scores were significantly lower than in the general Swedish population, reflecting significant impairment in well-being, physical and social functioning, and mental health. After maze surgery, the quality of life was significantly improved at 6 months and at 1 year on all scales except for bodily pain, which, however, was not significantly decreased before surgery. At both 6 months and 1 year after maze surgery, quality of life, measured by the SF-36, reached the levels of the general Swedish population.Conclusions—The maze operation can significantly improve the health-related quality of life in selected groups of patients with both paroxysmal and chronic AF refractory to antiarrhythmic therapy.
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Subject
Physiology (medical),Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Cited by
116 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献