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Surgical atrial fibrillation ablation, often called a Maze procedure, is performed to treat atrial fibrillation, the most common type of heart arrhythmia.
At Dignity Health Heart and Vascular Institute of Greater Sacramento, we have one of the most experienced cardiovascular surgery teams in the nation. Patients undergoing surgery for atrial fibrillation can feel confident knowing that our cardiology team performs more cardiovascular procedures than any other hospital in California.
Atrial fibrillation ablation, also called a MAZE procedure, is a surgical cardiology procedure done to treat atrial fibrillation (AFib), a dangerous heart condition in which the upper chambers of the heart (the atria) beat abnormally fast.
AFib Ablation may be performed in an open chest surgery or in a minimally invasive procedure, sometimes called a Mini MAZE.
In these procedures the source of the heart arrhythmia is mapped in an electrophysiology study, localized, and then ablated or destroyed.
Open surgical atrial fibrillation ablation is a type of open heart surgery and often requires a heart-lung bypass. A minimally invasive procedure is also available. In both procedures:
For people who suffer from atrial fibrillation (AFib), but are otherwise fairly healthy, a minimally invasive atrial fibrillation ablation (or Mini Maze) may be an option. It is similar to the concomitant ablation (described above), except that the surgeon reaches the heart through small incisions on each side of the chest and does not require that the heart be stopped. In the minimally invasive MAZE ablation:
At Dignity Health Heart and Vascular Institute of Greater Sacramento, we offer other minimally invasive treatment options for atrial fibrillation. Learn more about robot-assisted catheter ablation.
You may wish to discuss atrial fibrillation ablation with your doctor if:
Talk to your doctor about your risk factors and a referral to an AFib specialist. Call (855) 623-2734 to find a doctor. Or use our Find a Doctor tool.