3.3 In-hospital outcomes
One patient died of cerebral hernia on the fourth day postoperatively, which may be associated with acute cerebral infarction, and surgical mortality was 0.6%. Five (3.0%) patients developed complete atrioventricular node block and required permanent pacemaker implantation. Note that of the 5 patients, 3 had right bundle branch block prior to surgery. Another 4 (2.4%) patients developed new-onset atrial fibrillation, but all the 4 patients returned to sinus rhythm following electrical cardioversion. A total of 167 patients were discharged, and the median length of postoperative hospital stay was 6 days. The other postoperative complications are listed in Table 2.