Surgical perspectives in the management of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and a huge public health burden associated with significant morbidity and mortality. For decades an increasing number of patients have undergone surgical treatment of AF, mainly during concomitant cardiac surgery. This has sparked a drive for conducting further studies and researching this field. With the cornerstone Cox-Maze III "cut and sew" procedure being technically challenging, the focus in current literature has turned towards less invasive techniques. The introduction of ablative devices has revolutionised the surgical management of AF, moving away from the traditional surgical lesions. The hybrid procedure, a combination of catheter and surgical ablation is another promising new technique aiming to improve outcomes. Despite the increasing number of studies looking at various aspects of the surgical management of AF, the literature would benefit from more uniformly conducted randomised control trials.