Question Title: Atrial Maze Procedure

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Dear Linda:

The Maze procedure is a surgical procedure for atrial fibrillation. It involves carefully placing incisions in the atrium to try and stop the electrical impulses causing the atrial fibrillation from spreading. It is generally a treatment of last resort; only after multiple medications have failed would most cardiologists consider it. It does require open heart surgery and it is very specialized surgery, done at only a few medical centers. There are some centers experimenting with performing the maze procedure with catheters (not requiring open heart surgery) but this is highly experimental. The Maze procedure is fairly successful, though some patients still need to take medications after the procedure.

The most important thing to do is to make sure you have exhausted all other medical and non-surgical options before having the Maze procedure performed. You should definitely have an evaluation by a cardiac electrophysiologist - a cardiologist who specializes in atrial fibrillation.

If you wish to be evaluated here at the Cleveland Clinic, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE for an appointment with a cardiac electrophysiologist at desk F15. Information provided in the Heart Forum is for general purposes only. Specific diagnoses and therapies can only be provided by your doctor.