Facts About The Maze Procedure You Might Not Be Aware Of

 A maze procedure is one option for treating atrial fibrillation (AF or AFib) that is used to control the irregular heartbeat and restore the normal rhythm of the heart. Doctors may recommend the maze procedure to those for whom atrial fibrillation isn't controlled by medication, or who can't take medication or anticoagulants, and who also require heart surgery. While conducting the surgery, doctors make tiny cuts in the heart muscle that scar as they heal. These cuts that the surgeon makes in the atria prevent the spread of irregular electrical signals (through the heart muscle causing AF) by giving the heart new pathways for them.

Not everyone is a good candidate for maze procedure. It is only if you meet your surgeon’s criteria that you’ll be sent for a pre-surgery evaluation that typically involves several tests, including complete physical, electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiogram, stress test or nuclear stress test, Holter Monitor, computed tomography (CT) scan, transesophogeal echocardiography (TEE), and blood work. The test results will decide if you can move forward with the maze procedure. If you become eligible, you will be given pre-surgery instructions which you’ll need to follow.

If medicine isn’t proving to be useful in managing and controlling your AFib, it’s advisable that you discuss other treatment options like the surgical ablation maze procedure, the mini maze procedure, or catheter ablation with your doctor. Weigh the pros and cons of every treatment option, and accordingly decide your choice of treatment.

Here are a few things we’d like to discuss today about the maze procedure which you may not be aware of:

1.      The maze procedure has actually been around for decades with a very high success rate of more than 96 percent of patients remaining free of afib even 10 years after surgery. Furthermore, the procedure has evolved over time, in terms of the fact that the procedure is a complex open heart surgery involving cutting and sewing of the heart muscle, but now nothing of that is necessary as the procedure uses an energy source, such as laser, to make tiny cuts in the heart muscle.

2.      There are two basic versions of a maze procedure, a full maze procedure that involves opening the chest, making it the most invasive version, and the other type of surgery is a mini-maze, which is a minimally invasive procedure that uses an energy source to cut the heart muscle, and doesn’t require opening the chest. Mini-maze procedure is typically recommended for people with intermittent (paroxysmal) afib, and sometimes also for people with long-standing (persistent) afib. There are still high chances that the surgery will be successful (for people with persistent AF).

3.      Now let us talk about the latest development in the maze procedure that it can be combined with a catheter ablation, it’s called a hybrid maze procedure. In the hybrid procedure, the catheter ablation takes care of the inside of the heart and the maze surgery takes care of the outside. This is still relatively new and not all hospitals or heart centers can perform this procedure. This procedure has proven to be effective for people with difficult to treat persistent afib. Research is still underway with regards to identifying the safest and the most effective way to carry out this procedure.

4.      After a mini-maze procedure, it won’t be long before you can get back to your normal routine, in a matter of just a few days. With a full-maze procedure, full recovery can take 8 to 12 weeks because it’s open heart surgery. You’ll have to stay in the hospital and ICU for a longer length of time than for a mini-maze. After the procedure, your doctor will prescribe a cardiac rehab program for you to recover safely and quickly.

5.      Most people who undergo maze surgery will have short episodes of AF during recovery, mainly due to swelling in the heart muscle. With time as you recover and the swelling goes away, you won’t any further experience these bouts of AFib. It is important that you take the medicines prescribed by the doctor to control your heart rhythm and to prevent formation of blood clots. These aren’t long-term medicines, you’ll have to take them for just about three months.

Equip yourself in the lifesaving CPR procedure by training in the hands of AHA certified instructors at CPR Memphis in Tennessee. To sign up for a CPR class, contact CPR Memphis on 901-438-4200.