Botulinum Toxin Injection in Epicardial Fat Pads Can Prevent Recurrences of Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery

The secondary endpoints included time intervals from end of surgery to extubation and discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU), creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB) levels, post-CABG length of stay, congestive heart failure, sustained ventricular arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, infection, renal failure, respiratory failure, stroke or transient ischemic attack, rehospitalization, ICU readmission, and death within 30 days. The main findings of this study were botulinum toxin injection into the epicardial fat pads prevented recurrences of atrial tachyarrhythmia in the post-operative period in patients with prior PAF undergoing CABG; and the botulinum toxin injection did not alter timing of discharge from the ICU, nor enhance post-operative hospital length of stay or any other post-operative complication. Because in the vast majority of these patients, post-operative AF is a transient phenomenon, permanent ganglionated plexi (GP) destruction should not be the method of choice.