Comparison of frequencies of atrial fibrillation after coronary artery bypass grafting with and without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass.

This study compared the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in a group of 34 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass and cardioplegia with a control group of 747 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass and standard cardioplegia. A trend toward a lower incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation was found in the group that underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery without the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (n = 0.06).