Aortic fat pad destruction and post operative XXXX .

@entity1 @entity583 @entity943 @entity955
INTRODUCTION: @entity943 are a common complication of cardiac surgery. Reports describing pericardiac neurogenic tissue led us to hypothesize that removal of the aortic fat pad could cause an autonomic imbalance and contribute to @entity943 following cardiac surgery. METHODS: A randomized prospective pilot study (n =131) was conducted to test our hypotheses. @entity1 underwent conventional cardio-pulmonary bypass surgery (CPB) or off pump coronary bypass surgery (OPCAB). The fat pad was either left intact or removed. The incidence of de novo @entity943 during the @entity1 's hospital stay was tabulated. @entity1 with peri-operative @entity583 or pre-existing @entity943 were excluded. The randomization schedule was made subservient to clinical judgment at surgery. After promising preliminary results, an extension study (n =189 @entity1 , total @entity1 =320) was performed which employed the same definitions and interventions but was a sample of convenience. The data of this second study have not been previously published. RESULTS: In the pilot study, in demographically similar groups, logistic regression demonstrated a significantly elevated @entity943 incidence when the fat pad was removed (Odds ratio 3.49, 95% confidence intervals 1.09 to 11.18). A chi-square analysis of these same data, however, (4 fibrillations in 58 @entity1 with fat pad intact versus 15 fibrillation in 73 @entity1 with fat pad removed; P = 0.051) suggested that the importance of the fat pad status was not definite. Overall, @entity943 were present in 19 of 131 @entity1 (14.5%). In the extension study, in contrast to the pilot data, the data did not demonstrate any contribution of fat pad status to the incidence of @entity955 . CONCLUSIONS: Although we feel that our hypothesis remains viable, retention of the aortic fat pad during coronary artery bypass surgery may not be related to a decreased incidence of post operative @entity943 .
