Pericardiotomy and atrial fibrillation after isolated coronary artery bypass grafting: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 randomised controlled trials.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) and pericardial effusion are notable complications following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), contributing to increased morbidity and healthcare costs. Posterior pericardiotomy has been proposed to mitigate these complications. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the efficacy of posterior pericardiotomy in reducing postoperative AF and pericardial effusion in isolated CABG patients.

Preoperative B-Type Natriuretic Peptides to Predict Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in Cardiac Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Post-operative atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common complication following cardiac surgery. There has been extensive exploration of clinical variables, imaging, and biomarkers to predict its occurrence after cardiac surgery. In this study, we examine the emerging biomarkers B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP) to assess their pre-operative values and correlations with the occurrence of post-operative AF in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Efficacy of chest X-rays after drain removal in adult and pediatric patients undergoing cardiac and thoracic surgery: A systematic review.

Background: Chest X-rays are routinely obtained after the removal of chest drains in patients undergoing cardiac and thoracic surgical procedures. However, a lack of guidelines and evidence could question the practice. Routine chest X-rays increase exposure to ionizing radiation, increase health-care costs, and lead to overutilisation of available resources.