Background

In the last decade, hospitalizations for atrial fibrillation (Afib) have increased by 23% in America. Obesity is associated with a 50% increase in the risk of Afib development and higher rates of recurrence after catheter-ablation. We aimed to describe the influence of bariatric surgery on the rate of admissions for Afib/flutter.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of the National Impatient Sample (NIS) data collected from January 2010 to September 2015 was performed. Patients were classified in two groups: patients with/without primary diagnosis of Afib/flutter. A subgroup-analysis was performed for patients with history of bariatric surgery (HBS) vs. BMI >= 35 and no-HBS. The primary and secondary outcome was the rate-of-admissions and length-of-stay (LOS) for Afib/flutter. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the outcomes between groups.