BACKGROUND: Although the strongest benefit of a concomitant Maze procedure during mitral valve repair is the obviation of the need for anticoagulation therapy, the risk of @entity1031 without anticoagulation therapy has not been evaluated. METHODS: A total of 362 consecutive @entity1 (aged 52.2    13.8 years, 180 females) who underwent the Maze procedure combined with mitral valve repair between 1997 and 2012 were evaluated. Anticoagulation therapy was discontinued after 6 months if synchronous atrial contraction was maintained in the absence of further risks of @entity1031 . RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 5.4 years (interquartile range, 2.9 to 9.6 years). Late @entity955 ( @entity955 ) occurred in 62 @entity1 (17.1%). The 5-year freedom from @entity955 off anti-arrhythmic drugs was 82.6%    2.3%. In 96 @entity1 (26.5%), @entity1229 was administered in the late period (>6 months), and of them, 54 @entity1 (14.9%) were maintained with @entity1229 therapy until the end of the follow-up. @entity1 receiving @entity1229 therapy were older (p  = 0.030), had longer @entity955 duration (p  = 0.012), and had @entity627 more frequently (p  = 0.003) compared with those not receiving @entity1229 . Overall, @entity1 were followed up off the @entity1229 therapy for 1,577 @entity1 -years, during which there were 4 cases of @entity64 or transient @entity63 accident and 21 late deaths. The linearized rates of @entity1031 event and @entity204 without @entity1229 therapy were 0.06% and 0.12% per @entity1 -year, respectively, and these rates were not significantly different from those receiving @entity1229 therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Adopting appropriate selection criteria for discontinuing anticoagulation therapy, the majority of @entity1 receiving concomitant mitral repair and the Maze procedure can discontinue @entity1229 with excellent long-term safety profiles.

Long-Term Outcomes of the Maze Procedure Combined With Mitral Valve Repair: Risk of XXXX Without Anticoagulation Therapy.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients', 'patient'] @entity64 :: ('MESH:D020521', 'Disease') :: ['stroke'] @entity627 :: ('MESH:D012216', 'Disease') :: ['rheumatic valvulopathy'] @entity63 :: ('MESH:D007511', 'Disease') :: ['ischemic'] @entity1031 :: ('MESH:D013923', 'Disease') :: ['thromboembolism', 'thromboembolic'] @entity955 :: ('MESH:D001281', 'Disease') :: ['atrial fibrillation', 'AF'] @entity204 :: ('MESH:D003643', 'Disease') :: ['death'] @entity1229 :: ('MESH:D014859', 'Chemical') :: ['warfarin']
@entity1031 :: (MESH:D013923,Disease) :: ['Thromboembolism']
