New-Onset Sleep Disorders before Cardiac Surgery May Indicate an Increased Risk of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation.

Purpose: We aimed to determine if sleep disorders before cardiac surgery indicate an increased risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF).

Methods: In this study, 238 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting in our center were included. Patients were separated into the preoperative sleep disorder group and the control group. The primary endpoint was the incidence of POAF, and the secondary endpoints were the incidence of postoperative stroke, duration of invasive ventilation, length of intensive care unit, and hospitalization stay. Propensity score matching and multivariable logistic regression were used for adjusting potential confounders.

Results: A total of 165 (69.3%) patients had sleep disorders before surgery, and 73 well-matched pairs were generated. A higher incidence of POAF was found in the preoperative sleep disorder group (16.4% versus 5.5%, p = 0.034). In multivariable logistic regression, preoperative sleep disorders were correlated to a higher risk of POAF (odds ratio = 4.627, 95% confidence interval: 1.181-18.123, p = 0.028). In the subgroup of patients without long-term sleep disorders, those who experienced preoperative sleep disorders had a higher incidence of POAF (16.1% versus 4.3%, p = 0.024), meanwhile, no difference was found in the subgroup of long-term sleep disorders.

Conclusion: New-onset sleep disorders before cardiac surgery may indicate a higher incidence of POAF.