Predictive value of aortic knob width for postoperative atrial fibrillation in coronary artery bypass surgery

The aim of our study was determine whether aortic knob width (AKW) is associated with the development of atrial fibrillation (AF) after isolated coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). In this retrospective observational cohort study, we evaluated 135 patients without hemodynamically significant valvular problems. AKW was measured on chest X-ray by digital system. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to find independent associates of postoperative AF (POAF). The diagnostic value of AKW was assessed using ROC analysis. POAF occurred in 43 (31.8%) of all patients. The age, AKW, left atrial (LA) diameter and C-reactive protein (CRP) were significantly higher in patients with POAF than without POAF (67.2±8.6 vs 61.3±9.8 years, p=0.004; 45.6±5.8 vs 36.1±3.8 mm, p