Background: Postoperative atrial fibrillation is common problem after cardiac surgeries. It is related to the rise in morbidity & hospital costs.
Objective: The goal of the research was to assess the effectiveness of posterior pericardiotomy in reducing the incidence of postoperative pericardial effusion & consequently decreasing the related atrial fibrillation.
Subjects and Methods: This randomized research included 100 patients scheduled for cardiac surgery in Kasr Al-Ainy Hospital, Cairo University & Fayoum University Hospital, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery between March 2022 and September 2022. Studied cases were separated into 2 groups; each group included fifty studied cases, the posterior pericardiotomy group (group A) and control group (group B). Postoperative evaluations were made after five & thirty days and contained electrocardiographic research, chest x-ray, & echocardiography.
Results: Early pericardial effusion developed in 4 studied cases (8%) in group A & 19 studied cases (38%) in group B (P<0.0001). No late pericardial effusion in group A compared to nine (18%) cases had late pericardial effusion in group B (P=0.002). Atrial fibrillation developed in 8 patients (16%) in group (A) & in 11 patients (22%) in group B (P=0.444).
Conclusion:   Posterior pericardiotomy is safe method that significantly decreases the incidence of early & late postoperative pericardial effusion and tamponade, but it has no significant effect in reduction of postoperative AF.