Fig. 2

Active clearance of chest tubes decreased the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation by 18% (31% vs 38%, p = 0.08) and significantly reduced the rate of re-exploration for bleeding or tamponade by 72% (1.6% vs 5.7%, p = 0.01) when compared to standard drainage. ATC, active tube clearance; POAF, postoperative atrial fibrillation