Background-The mechanisms of chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) are not well understood. We performed epicardial mapping of chronic AF in patients undergoing open heart surgery to test the hypothesis that chronic AF is due to a left atrial "driver" with a regular, short cycle length, resulting in fibrillatory conduction to the rest of the atria. Methods and Results-Nine patients with chronic AF (1 month to Ͼ15 years' duration) were studied at open heart surgery, 8 before and 1 during cardiopulmonary bypass. During AF, atrial electrograms (AEGs) were recorded for 1 to 5 minutes from 404 epicardial electrodes arranged in bipoles along with ECG lead II or ventricular electrogram. Four-second segments of each bipolar AEG were also subjected to fast Fourier transform analysis. Two patterns of atrial activation were present during AF. In pattern 1 (7/9 patients), AEGs from parts of the atria demonstrated a short, regular cycle length with identical beat-to-beat morphology, and the rest of the atria were activated irregularly, and AEGs that demonstrated constant morphology and cycle length were localized to parts of the left atria (5/7), the right atria (1/7), or both atria (1/7). In pattern 2 (2/9 patients), AEGs showed no evidence of regular activation or constant morphology. Conclusions-In 9 patients with chronic AF, the commonest recorded AEG pattern showed an area of regular, rapid rhythm, consistent with the possibility that a driver causing fibrillatory conduction is one mechanism of AF in these patients.

Background The mechanism(s) of persistent and long-standing persistent (LSP) atrial fibrillation (AF) is/are poorly understood. We performed high density, simultaneous, bi-atrial, epicardial mapping of persistent and LSP AF in patients undergoing open heart surgery (OHS) 1) to test the hypothesis that persistent and LSP AF are due to one or more drivers, either focal or reentrant, and 2) to characterize associated atrial activation. Methods and Results Twelve patients with persistent and LSP AF (1 month - 9 years duration) were studied at OHS. During AF, electrograms (AEGs) were recorded from both atria simultaneously for 1-5 minutes from 510-512 epicardial electrodes with ECG lead II. Thirty-two consecutive seconds of activation sequence maps were produced per patient. During AF, multiple foci (QS unipolar AEGs) of different cycle lengths (mean 175±18 ms) were present in both atria in 11/12 patients. Foci (2-4 per patient, duration 5-32 secs) were either sustained or intermittent, were predominantly found in the lateral left atrial free wall, and likely acted as drivers. Random and nonrandom breakthrough activation sites (initial r or R in unipolar AEGs) were also found. In 1/12 patients, only breakthrough sites were found. All wave fronts emanated from foci and/or breakthrough sites, and largely either collided or merged with each other at variable sites. Repetitive focal QS activation occasionally generated repetitive wannabe reentrant activation in 5/12 patients. No actual reentry was found. Conclusions During persistent and LSP AF in 12 patients, wave fronts emanating from foci and/or breakthrough sites maintained AF. No reentry was demonstrated.