Methods and Results
Multidetector computed tomography was performed in 102 consecutive AF patients (male/female = 60/42) preoperative, and the parameters were evaluated as follows: the distance from MPL and CPL to the esophagus, fat pad presence and thickness in the course of MPL and CPL, and the esophageal route below CPL. The average distance from the MPL to the esophagus was longer than from CPL to the esophagus (3.7 ± 1.5mm vs 1.7 ± 0.4mm, P < 0.001). Fat pad presence was higher in the course of MPL than CPL. The myocardium tissue and fat pad under MPL was thicker than under CPL (2.9 ± 1.1mm vs 1.6 ± 0.3mm, P < 0.001; 1.4 ± 0.6mm vs 0.9 ± 0.2mm, P < 0.001), respectively. In patients whose esophagus was unconfined in a triangular space at the left inferior pulmonary vein level, the average distance from MPL to esophagus was longer than the confined patients (4.0 ± 1.7mm vs 3.2 ± 1.0mm, P = 0.001).