About the "Mini Maze" Procedure for Atrial Fibrillation

The Shands Minimally Invasive Pulmonary Vein Isolation procedure, also known as the "Mini-Maze," is used to treat atrial fibrillation through three small incisions on each side of the chest. Two of the incisions are about the size of a nickel, and the other incision is slightly larger. Through these "ports," a surgeon can use a bipolar radiofrequency energy source to make precise linear scars on the heart. These ablation lines block the irregular electrical impulses that cause atrial fibrillation. During this procedure, surgeons may also remove or close off the left atrial appendage in order to reduce the risk of stroke.

Performed on a beating heart, the mini-maze procedure takes about three to four hours, and the hospital stay averages about four days. With the mini-maze, atrial fibrillation is eliminated in about 80 to 90 percent of patients.

Please visit Shands.org for more information or to find a physician.

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