SynthesisEuroIntervention : journal of EuroPCR in collaboration with the Working Group on Interventional Cardiology of the European Society of Cardiology2023
Posterior pericardiotomy for the prevention of atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 25 randomised controlled trials.
Synthesis in EuroIntervention : journal of EuroPCR in collaboration with the Working Group on Interventional Cardiology of the European Society of Cardiology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness and safety of left atrial appendage electrical isolation in managing persistent atrial fibrillation: an updated meta-analysis of 3425 patients.BMC cardiovascular disorders · 2026Pooled it
- Enhanced Recovery After Cardiac Surgery for Minimally Invasive Valve Surgery: A Systematic Review of Key Elements and Advancements.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Pooled it
- Posterior Pericardiotomy and Its Impact on Cardiac Tamponade and Pericardial Effusion after Cardiac Surgery.Annals of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery : official journal of the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia · 2025Trial
- Posterior Pericardiotomy: Historical Perspective, Current Techniques, and Clinical Outcomes.Annals of thoracic surgery short reports · 2026Article
- Postoperative pericardial effusion on routine echocardiography: A review of incidence, progression, and management : To dissolve or to be resolved.Netherlands heart journal : monthly journal of the Netherlands Society of Cardiology and the Netherlands Heart Foundation · 2026Review
- Commentary on "Can Posterior Pericardial Incision Truly Improve Postoperative Complications After Cardiac Surgery?"Brazilian journal of cardiovascular surgery · 2026Article
- Preventing Postpericardiotomy Syndrome: Current Evidence and Future Directions.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2026Review
- Posterior pericardiotomy: An effective strategy for reducing post-coronary artery bypass grafting complications, with considerations for pleural effusion risk.World journal of cardiology · 2025Article
- Prevention and Treatment of New-Onset Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation in the Acute Care Setting: A Narrative Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Can partial cardiac denervation reduce postoperative atrial fibrillation following CABG?Indian journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery · 2025Article
- Posterior left pericardiotomy: what is the advantage in cardiac surgery?European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery · 2025Review
- Retained blood syndrome after cardiac surgery.European journal of cardio-thoracic surgery : official journal of the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery · 2025Review
- Posterior Pericardial Window and a Single Pleural Drain: A Dual Defence Against Post-CABG Pericardial Effusion and Atrial Fibrillation.Therapeutics and clinical risk management · 2025Article
- Atrial Fibrillation After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and Its Relationship with Hospital Complications in São Paulo State.Brazilian journal of cardiovascular surgery · 2024Observational
- The Effect of Posterior Pericardiotomy on the Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation After Cardiac Surgery-Extended Follow-Up study (PALACS-EF): rationale and design.European heart journal open · 2023Article
- Posterior pericardiotomy: "omnia cum tempore" (everything in its time).EuroIntervention : journal of EuroPCR in collaboration with the Working Group on Interventional Cardiology of the European Society of Cardiology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
19 authors at 8 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) associated with postoperative pericardial effusion is the most commonly reported adverse event after cardiac surgery.
aimsWe aimed to determine the role of posterior pericardiotomy in preventing postoperative AF (POAF).
methodsWe searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Ovid, and EBSCO from inception until 30 June 2022. We included randomised clinical trials (RCTs) that compared posterior pericardiotomy (PP) versus control (no PP) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The primary endpoint was the incidence of POAF after cardiac surgery. The secondary endpoints were supraventricular arrhythmias, early/late pericardial effusion, pericardial tamponade, pleural effusion, length of hospital/intensive care unit stay, intra-aortic balloon pump use, revision surgery for bleeding, and mortality.
resultsTwenty-five RCTs comprising 4,467 patients were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The overall incidence rate of POAF was 11.7% in the PP group compared with 23.67% in the no PP or control group, with a significant decrease in the risk of POAF following PP (odds ratio [OR] 0.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.38-0.61). Compared with the control group, the risk of supraventricular tachycardia (OR 0.66, 95% CI: 0.43-0.89), early pericardial effusion (OR 0.32, 95% CI: 0.22-0.46), late pericardial effusion (OR 0.15, 95% CI: 0.09-0.25), and pericardiac tamponade (OR 0.18, 95% CI: 0.10-0.33) were lower in the PP group.
conclusionsPP is an effective intervention for reducing the risk of POAF after cardiac surgery. Also, PP is economically efficient in terms of decreasing the length of hospital stay.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.