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Standard Open Maze Procedure to Cure Afib
If you have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, you have options for the Surgical Treatment of Cardiac Arrhythmias. In fact, if you are scheduled to undergo an open heart operation or open chest surgery such as Valve Surgery or Coronary Artery Surgery, you might be a good candidate for the standard Open Maze procedure, which like the Closed Chest Mini Maze, has more than a 90% success rate in curing AF.
Unlike the minimally invasive Closed Chest Mini Maze, which utilizes keyhole ports (incisions) to treat those patients with atrial fibrillation with no prior heart surgery, the Open Maze uses the same radiofrequency (RF) energy but can be conducted in just minutes – rather than hours – on patients requiring other heart surgery.
Dr. James Longoria has performed the Closed Chest Mini Maze since 2004. Like that procedure, the standard Maze is derived from the Cox Maze III – a "cut-and-sew" procedure that creates a maze of lesions (scar tissue) on the heart, blocking the irregular electrical impulses that contribute to afib. But, rather than cutting into the heart with a scalpel, both the Closed Chest Mini Maze and standard Open Maze utilize bipolar radiofrequency energy to create the maze of scar tissue.
The results are the same: isolation of the pulmonary veins, mapping and subsequent ablation of the nerves around the heart (ganglionic plexi), removal of the heart's left atrial appendage, and creation of a defined pathway for the electrical impulses of the heart to travel. For the majority of patients, the procedure results in a return to a normal sinus rhythm; allows for the discontinuation of drugs such as Coumadin (warfarin); and, reduces the pooling of blood and thus the risk of stroke associated with AF. Sacramento Cardiovascular Surgeons is even able to test the area to ensure that it's no longer capable of triggering irregular impulses prior to closing the chest.
Regardless of where you live, a full life begins with a healthy heart. If you or a loved one have questions about cardiac, thoracic or vascular surgery or require more information about either the minimally invasive Closed Chest Mini Maze or the standard Open Maze for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, California's heart surgery experts can help. Contact Sacramento Cardiovascular Surgeons today by calling 916-452-8291 or toll free at 877-452-8291. Or, schedule a consultation at their office in Sacramento. You depend on your heart; it depends on you. Take control and make the call. Today.
Images courtesy of Atricure, Inc.
