Is ganglionated plexi ablation during Maze IV procedure beneficial for postoperative long-term stable sinus rhythm?

Background: We investigated the role of surgical ablation targeting the autonomous nervous system during a Cox-Maze IV procedure in the maintenance of sinus rhythm at long-term follow-up.

Methods: The patient population consisted of 519 subjects with persistent or long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) undergoing radiofrequency Maze IV during open heart surgery between January 2006 and July 2013 at three institutions without (Group 1) or with (Group 2) ganglionated plexi (GP) ablation. Recurrence of atrial fibrillation off-antiarrhythmic drugs was the primary outcome.