Right atrial isolation for atrial fibrillation associated with atrial septal defect.

Two patients with atrial fibrillation associated with an atrial septal defect underwent simultaneous surgical correction of the atrial septal defect and right atrial isolation. The right atrium was surgically isolated while the continuity with the sinoatrial node was preserved in the remainder of the heart. After the operation, the patients maintained normal sinus rhythm for 99 and 65 months. Thus, right atrial isolation offers an alternative to the current surgical treatment for atrial fibrillation associated with an atrial septal defect.