Conclusions
ERAT occurred in 49.0 % of patients within the first three months after surgical ablation. Patients with ERAT that occurred within three months after surgical AF ablation were significantly more likely to have an increased incidence of LR than patients without ERAT. Most importantly, the patients in whom ERAT occurred within the first month had significantly better outcomes than those in whom ERAT occurred later, and two-thirds of patients who had ERAT within the first two months remained free of LR. Therefore, the currently accepted three-month blanking period needs to be redefined in patients with surgical ablation for AF.