[Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation: state of the art]

Abstract

The surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF) has evolved significantly over years and even more so in the last 10 years. Eliminating AF and AF-related stroke are the current objectives, more than just heart rate control, and there are now many successful surgical procedures focused on and with excellent results. We reviewed the current types of surgical AF procedures, discussing minimally invasive and hybrid ones, and this may be helpful to clinicians in understanding the different surgical AF options available and to help them in the management of this patient population.