Objective      To study the ventilator support time and the physical condition after the valve replacement surgery concomitant with bipolar radiofrequency ablation.       Methods      We divided 160 patients

who suffered from rheumatic heart disease and chronic atrial fibrillation over 6 months

into 3 groups: group MVR+COX including 75 cases who underwent mitral valve replacement concomitant with bipolar radiofrequency ablation

group MVR including 42 cases who underwent

mitral valve replacement

and group DVR including 43 cases who underwent aortic and mitral valve replacement. The ventilator support time

partial pressure of oxygen (PaO

2

)

PaO

2

/FiO

2

and postoperative drainage after surgery were recorded. The chest radiographs in the first and the 7th days after surgery were assessed. Age

weight

duration of on pump time

aorta cross clamping time and preoperative PaO

2

were analyzed.       Results      Compared with groups MVR and DVR

group MVR+COX showed longer ventilator support time

more postoperative drainage

and lower postoperative PaO

2

or PaO

2

/FiO

2

(

P

0.05). According to the chest radiographs

the proportion for lung infection is slightly higher in group MVR+COX at the first day

but no significant difference was observed at the 7th day. Analysis of logistic regression showed that the postoperative time of mechanical ventilation was significantly correlated with the surgical procedure (

P

0.05).       Conclusion      The postoperative respiratory function after mitral valve replacement concomitant with bipolar radiofrequency ablation recovers more slowly than other groups without bipolar radiofrequency ablation

possibly resulted from lung injury.