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Spinal stimulation reduces risks of postoperative fibrillation
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
The procedure of spinal cord stimulation before and after open heart surgery reduces the likelihood of postoperative heart rhythm disturbances by almost 90%.
According to scientists, approximately 45% of patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass grafting experience atrial fibrillation in the post-operative period. This type of arrhythmia, in turn, can cause many adverse effects - from the development of heart failure, heart attack or stroke to thromboembolic conditions that negatively affect both health and quality of life. One of the factors in the development of post-operative rhythm disturbances is considered to be hyperactivity of the autonomic nervous system. According to the results of a scientific experiment, stimulating the spinal cord structures - a traditional procedure for the treatment of chronic pain syndrome that does not respond to medication - directly affects the autonomic nervous system and reduces the likelihood of developing post-operative atrial fibrillation.
The experimental study involved 52 patients diagnosed with prolonged attacks of atrial fibrillation. All patients were referred for coronary artery bypass grafting. The participants were divided into two groups similar in surgical, hospital, and demographic characteristics. The first group underwent temporary spinal stimulation for 72 hours before and 168 hours after coronary artery bypass grafting. The second group did not undergo such stimulation. All patients were prescribed treatment with β-blockers for one month after the surgery. Then, the participants were monitored for 30 days, during which the specialists noted that the incidence of prolonged attacks of postoperative atrial fibrillation in the first group was 3.8%, while in the second group this figure reached more than 30%.
The stimulation method involves inserting electrodes into the posterior epidural space at the level of the C7-T4 vertebrae.
Scientists set themselves the goal of determining how effective and safe this technology is. No complications or clinically significant consequences were detected over 30 days, which speaks in favor of the absolute safety of this method. The results of the study showed that spinal stimulation reduced the risk of postoperative arrhythmia by almost 90%. Further, specialists will continue to study this technique, applying it to other open cardiac surgeries.
Details of the study are available on the page