Sleep disordered breathing and post-cardiac surgery atrial fibrillation

We thank the editor for inviting an editorial on our recent publication in Chest. We also appreciate and thank Chan et al. for a very thoughtful editorial. We hereby take the liberty of making a few observations for the readership of this journal as well as the investigators in this particular area. Postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) is a growing problem and most predictors appear to be non-modifiable. The relation between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and new onset postoperative AF is complex and requires further characterization, but is also important as it may be a salient modifiable factor with potential benefit realized from the treatment of OSA.