Arrhythmias & electrophysiologyCohort study
New-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation management and outcomes: the VISION Cardiac Surgery cohort
- Prospective cohort study
- multicentre
- 12 countries
Authors' conclusion
New-onset POAF occurs in a third of patients after cardiac surgery; its antithrombotic and antiarrhythmic management varies. Patients with POAF have increased risks of both clinical AF and of all-cause death in the year following surgery.
Study context
- Population
- Adults undergoing cardiac surgery (55.3% isolated CABG)
- Participants
- 12,234 adults
- Exposure
- Postoperative AF (POAF) vs no POAF
- Outcome
- Composite of:
- Stroke
- Vascular death
- Follow-up
- Between 30 days and 1 year postoperatively
Main finding
Stroke or vascular death
Adjusted hazard ratio
1.32
95% CI 0.99–1.77
By group
POAF vs No POAF
aHR 1.32 (95% CI 0.99–1.77)
As reported in the abstract
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Values | aHR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical AF · 1 year | POAF 6.9% · No POAF 0.6% | 11.30 (8.17–15.70) | |
| All-cause death | POAF 3.0% · No POAF 1.7% | 1.54 (1.18–2.00) | |
| 0.050.21520Adjusted hazard ratio (log scale) |
POAF incidence · within 30 days of surgery
- POAF
- 31.8%
Management of POAF at hospital discharge
- Anticoagulation alone
- 15.6%
- Antiplatelets alone
- 54.3%
- Anticoagulation and antiplatelets
- 23.9%
- Neither
- 6.3%
- Amiodarone
- 48.8%
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
New-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation management and outcomes: the VISION Cardiac Surgery cohort. Eur Heart J. Published 8 April 2026. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehag236
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it