# The Role of the CHA2DS2-VASc Score in predicting postoperative Atrial Fibrillation after pulmonary resection

## TL;DR

This study shows that the CHA2DS2-VASc score can predict postoperative atrial fibrillation in lung surgery patients.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the novel use of the CHA2DS2-VASc score to predict postoperative atrial fibrillation after lung resection.

## Key findings

- Patients with postoperative atrial fibrillation had significantly higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores.
- The CHA2DS2-VASc score was a significant predictor of postoperative atrial fibrillation (OR=4.33, p=0.039).
- The score showed good predictive ability with an AUC of 0.797.

## Abstract

CHA2DS2-VASc is a validated scoring system used to calculate the risk of stroke and thrombus in atrial fibrillation (AF) conditions. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between the development of postoperative atrial fibrillation (PAF) and CHA2DS2-VASc score in patients undergoing elective anatomical lung resection.

In this retrospective cohort study, the records of patients who underwent elective anatomic lung resection at a single center between January 2015 to December 2024 were reviewed. The CHA2DS2-VASc score of all patients was calculated. Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square and ROC analyses, as well as binary logistic regression, were used for statistical analysis.

Among one hundred patients (80 males), the incidence of PAF was 11%. Patients with PAF had significantly higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores (p<0.001). ROC analysis showed an AUC of 0.797 (p<0.001), with a cut-off of 1.5 yielding 90.9% sensitivity and 34.8% specificity. Logistic regression identified the CHA2DS2-VASc score as a significant predictor of PAF (OR=4.33, p=0.039).

The CHA2DS2-VASc score may be a valuable tool not only to assess thromboembolic risk but also to predict the development of PAF after thoracic surgery. With this scoring, high-risk patients can be identified in advance, appropriate prophylactic measures can be taken, and postoperative morbidity and mortality can be reduced.