Maze Heart Surgery

Overview

Maze heart surgery

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Maze heart surgery is a complex procedure to treat a type of heart rhythm disorder (atrial fibrillation). In maze heart surgery, a heart surgeon creates multiple cuts into the upper part of your heart (atria) in an intricate pattern, or maze. Your surgeon then stitches the incisions together to produce scars. Because the scars do not carry electrical signals, they interfere with stray electrical impulses that cause atrial fibrillation. This restores your heart's regular, coordinated heartbeat.

Sometimes, surgeons may use a freezing technique (cryoablation) or a heating technique (radiofrequency ablation) instead of the incisions. Your doctor will discuss your treatment options based on a thorough evaluation and the effectiveness of other treatments you've tried.

Because maze heart surgery is an open heart surgery, doctors usually consider maze surgery only if:

• Drugs haven't controlled your atrial fibrillation
• Your symptoms interfere with your quality of life
• You're at high risk for blood clots or stroke

Maze heart surgery may be an option for:

• People of many ages
• People who have other open-heart procedures at the same time, such as atrial septal defect repair, coronary artery bypass surgery, congenital heart disease surgery and mitral valve repair and replacement
• People who previously have had heart surgery

Advantages

Maze heart surgery isn't an option for everyone, but offers these advantages in those for whom it's appropriate:

• Corrects atrial fibrillation in many people
• Restores a regular, coordinated heartbeat
• Reduces the need for long-term use of blood-thinning medications for many people
• Lowers the risk of developing blood clots and having a stroke
• Decreases symptoms, such as fainting or near-fainting

Risks and complications

In people who are candidates for maze heart surgery, the surgery's risks and complications are low. If you have maze surgery, you may experience these complications:

• Bleeding
• Continued atrial fibrillation
• Excess fluid in body (fluid retention)
• Pneumonia
• Stroke
• Wound infection

In some people, atrial fibrillation hides other pre-existing conditions such as sick sinus syndrome or heart block, and these conditions may surface after treatment of atrial fibrillation. If you have these conditions, you may need a pacemaker.

The Mayo Clinic staff works with you, your local doctor and local cardiologist to ensure a smooth recovery following surgery.

Why choose Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic heart surgeons work with specialists in heart diseases (cardiovascular diseases) and other areas to accurately diagnose and appropriately treat people who may need maze heart surgery. Mayo Clinic surgeons have years of experience performing maze heart surgery, including its use as treatment for congenital heart disease.

Among people at Mayo Clinic who've had maze heart surgery to treat atrial fibrillation, 88 percent have had no atrial fibrillation at their follow-up appointments after the surgery. Some people who didn't experience less atrial fibrillation after the procedure improve by taking medications after the surgery.

Mayo Clinic surgeons perform minimally invasive heart surgery, including minimally invasive maze heart surgery, when possible. Surgeons use multiple methods for maze heart surgery, including:

• Cryotherapy. At Mayo Clinic, surgeons routinely use a device to freeze heart tissue and create lesions on the atria (cryotherapy) to reduce the incisions made with a scalpel. Scars to block electrical impulses can be created in 60 to 90 seconds, minimizing the time to perform the maze procedure.
• Minimal access catheter maze procedure. Surgeons use a device to heat heart tissue (catheter radiofrequency ablation) and replicate the lines of scar tissue that are created with the open-heart maze heart surgery.

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is ranked among the Best Hospitals for heart and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report. Mayo Clinic also ranks among the Best Children's Hospitals for heart and heart surgery.

Related book: Mayo Clinic Healthy Heart for Life! book provides an easy-to-follow plan to prevent and conquer heart disease.