Nerve block may stop Post-Surgery heart flutter in bypass patients

This study tests whether a numbing injection near certain neck nerves, given just before heart bypass surgery, can prevent a common complication called atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat). About 450 adults scheduled for bypass will be randomly assigned to receive either the active drug or a saltwater placebo. Their heart rhythms will be continuously monitored for one week after surgery to see if the nerve block reduces the number of people who develop this heart rhythm problem.