Incidence of arrhythmias after thoracic surgery: Thoracotomy versus video-assisted thoracoscopy

Purpose: Atrial arrhythmias, especially supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and atrial fibrillation, are common after thoracotomy and lung surgery. There are few existing data on the incidence of postoperative arrhythmias after video-assisted thoracoscopy (VAT). The purpose of the present investigation was to retrospectively determine the incidence of postoperative arrhythmias in patients who underwent VAT compared with those who underwent thoracotomy, and which factors are associated with an increased risk for arrhythmias in both groups. Design: A retrospective investigation. Setting: A metropolitan university hospital. Participants: The medical records of 124 patients who underwent thoracotomy and 81 patients who underwent VAT over a 2-year period were reviewed. Measurements and Main Results: There was a 17% incidence of atrial arrhythmias after thoracotomy and 10% after VAT, but the difference was not statistically significant. In both groups, atrial fibrillation was the most common atrial arrhythmia. Conclusion: Patients receiving digoxin were at higher risk for postoperative arrhythmias. Patients older than 65 years were at risk for arrhythmias after thoracotomy and patients older than 80 years were at risk for arrhythmias after VAT. Patients who had postoperative arrhythmias had prolonged hospital stays compared with patients who did not have arrhythmias.