Atrial Tachycardias Occurring Late After Open Heart Surgery

Atrial tachycardias are common after open heart surgery. Most commonly these are macro-reentrant including cavotricuspid isthmus dependent atrial flutter, incisional right atrial flutter and left atrial flutter. Focal atrial tachycardias occur less frequently. The specific type of atrial tachycardia highly depends on the type of surgical incision. Catheter ablation can be very effective, however requires a thorough understanding of anatomy and surgical technique.