When to Consider the Maze/Mini-Maze Surgery for Atrial FibrillationAtrial Fibrillation: Resources for Patients

Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...

"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."

Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."

Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI

“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.

Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017

“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”

Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD

Doctors & patients are saying about 'Beat Your A-Fib'...

"If I had [your book] 10 years ago, it would have saved me 8 years of hell.”

Roy Salmon, Patient, A-Fib Free,
Adelaide, Australia

"This book is incredibly complete and easy-to-understand for anybody. I certainly recommend it for patients who want to know more about atrial fibrillation than what they will learn from doctors...."

Pierre Jaïs, M.D. Professor of Cardiology, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, Bordeaux, France

"Dear Steve, I saw a patient this morning with your book [in hand] and highlights throughout. She loves it and finds it very useful to help her in dealing with atrial fibrillation."

Dr. Wilber Su,
Cavanaugh Heart Center, Phoenix, AZ

"...masterful. You managed to combine an encyclopedic compilation of information with the simplicity of presentation that enhances the delivery of the information to the reader. This is not an easy thing to do, but you have been very, very successful at it."

Ira David Levin, heart patient,
Rome, Italy

"Within the pages of Beat Your A-Fib, Dr. Steve Ryan, PhD, provides a comprehensive guide for persons seeking to find a cure for their Atrial Fibrillation."

Walter Kerwin, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

FAQ: Maze Surgeries

“When should A-Fib patients consider a full Cox Maze or a Mini-Maze surgery instead of a Catheter Ablation?”

Surgical Maze pattern of series of lesions

There are several specific circumstances in which you might consider a Maze surgery:

• You are having other heart-related surgery. If you have to undergo open heart surgery for another heart problem, such as a Mitral Valve replacement, the Cox Maze operation can be performed concurrently with your other heart surgery.

• You don’t qualify for a catheter ablation. If you can’t take blood thinners, for example, you can’t have an ablation.

• You’ve already had a stroke. Or you are in danger of having a stroke during a catheter ablation.

• You’re morbidly obese. It’s more difficult to see a clear image of the heart with current imaging systems during a catheter ablation if someone is significantly overweight.

A word of caution—the Maze/Mini-Maze are surgical operations with the potential risks and complications of surgery.

Typical Mini-Maze incisions for surgical ablation of A-Fib

Current Guidelines for the Management of Patients with A-Fib

Surgery isn’t recommended as a first choice by current A-Fib treatment guidelines. The Maze surgeries are more invasive, traumatic, risky and with longer (in hospital) recovery times.

In general, candidates for Maze or Mini-Maze surgeries, are patients with significant, frequent A-Fib symptoms that do not respond to medication or catheter ablation. Patients who are unaware of their A-Fib symptoms are probably not candidates.

However, each case is unique, so it’s best to discuss your options with your cardiologist.

Find the Right Doctor

To find the right electrophysiologist (EP) for you, see Finding the Right Doctor for You and Your A-Fib.

Resource for this article

2014 AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Executive Summary. A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Volume 64, Issue 21, December 2014. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2014.03.021. http://www.onlinejacc.org/content/64/21/2246.