Post–Cardiac Surgery Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common complication of cardiac surgery (CS). There are numerous risk factors, proposed mechanisms, and financial/clinical implications of post-CS AF (PCSAF). Management involves 2 arms: prevention and treatment. This review highlights and summarizes previous literature on PCSAF and challenges the standard dogma regarding anticoagulation, particularly in the short term.