Retraction notice on the article by A.S. Zotov et al. ‘Short-Term Results of Two Strategies in Thoracoscopic Ablation for Lone Atrial Fibrillation’ doi: 10.17816/clinpract110719

Editorial board of the journal informs authors about the retraction of the article Short-Term Results of Two Strategies in Thoracoscopic Ablation for Lone Atrial Fibrillation published in Journal of Clinical Practice 13(3) 2022 by A.S. Zotov, O.Yu. Pidanov, I.S. Osmanov, A.V. Troitsky, A.A. Silaev, E.R. Sakharov, V.N. Sukhotin, O.O. Shelest, R.I. Khabazov, D.A. Timashkov. The reason for the retraction is the publication ethics violation in terms of authorship criteria. Not all authors whose names appear on the article made substantial contributions to the study drafted/revised the manuscript and approved the version to be published. Retraction made on January 09, 2023 with approve from the Editor-in-Chief

The first experience of a hybrid approach in the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice and is associated with an increased risk of death, progression of heart failure, and the development of cardiogenic thromboemboli. Despite the significant success in the management of AF in the paroxysmal form, the results of the treatment for patients with persistent forms of AF remain unsatisfactory. Though the surgical approach provides higher rates of efficiency regarding the restoration of a sinus rhythm, transmural lesions are not always attainable, as a result, the rate of AF recurrence in the long-term period remains fairly high. It is also impossible to create ablative patterns to the mitral and tricuspid valves during thoracoscopic epicardial ablation, which can cause the development of recurrent AF, perimitral and typical atrial flutter. Therefore, the development of hybrid approaches combining the advantages of catheter and thoracoscopic techniques is an urgent task of contemporary surgical and interventional arrhythmology. Aims: to estimate the immediate results of a hybrid approach in the management of patients with persistent AF. Methods: We report the first experience of a hybrid treatment of patients with persistent AF. 6 patients aged 53-64 years (1 female, 5 males) were included in the study. At the first stage, thoracoscopic epicardial bipolar ablation was performed (modified GALAXY protocol); the second stage (in 3 to 6 months after the thoracoscopic stage) included an intracardiac electrophysiological study with three-dimensional endocardial mapping followed by endocardial ablation. Results: The thoracoscopic stage of the hybrid treatment included ablation according to the box lesion scheme using a bipolar irrigation equipment. No lethal outcomes and severe, life-threatening complications were registered. The duration of the inpatient period was 510 hospital-days. The 2nd stage of the hybrid treatment was limited to intracardiac electrophysiological examination only in 2 patients. In 4 patients, epicardial radiofrequency ablation was complemented by endocardial radiofrequency exposure. In 3 of the 4 patients who underwent endocardial radiofrequency ablation, catheter ablation of the mitral and cavotricuspid isthmus was required because of the induction of perimitral and typical flutter, respectively. After the 2nd stage of the hybrid treatment, at the time of discharge all the patients maintained a stable sinus rhythm. There were no severe complications or lethal outcomes. Conclusion: a hybrid approach in the AF management is a safe and effective method of treatment, which combines the advantages of minimally invasive surgery and endocardial intervention in patients with persistent AF. The technique is safe and has acceptable short-term results