Norton Heart & Vascular Institute, serving Louisville and Southern Indiana, offers innovative and minimally invasive treatment options, like the maze procedure or hybrid ablation, to treat patients with atrial fibrillation (A-fib). Both the maze procedure and hybrid ablation can restore normal heart rhythm for most patients and may allow for some daily medications to be reduced or discontinued, but the treatment option used is based on the individual needs of each patient.
What Is a Maze Procedure?
The maze procedure can be used when a patient is already undergoing open heart surgery for repair of an additional area of the heart. To interrupt the source of an irregular heartbeat, specifically atrial fibrillation, cardiac surgeons at Norton Heart & Vascular Institute use extreme cold delivered through a cryoablation device to create precisely placed lines of scar tissue in a maze-like pattern. Since scar tissue doesn’t carry electrical signals, these patterns in your right and left atria can interrupt the irregular signals, allowing your heart to beat normally.
A Minimally Invasive Alternative to the Maze Procedure
When open heart surgery is not needed, most A-fib patients can have a minimally invasive procedure called hybrid ablation as an alternative to the maze procedure. The hybrid ablation procedure creates similar scarring to disrupt signals causing an irregular heartbeat, but it is performed through the use of a combination of catheters and smaller equipment that can be inserted under your breastbone instead of open heart surgery.
Norton Heart & Vascular Institute is the leading provider of innovative heart care such as the maze procedure in Louisville and Southern Indiana.
Selecting a Treatment Option for Atrial Fibrillation
All patients who may be a candidate for either the maze procedure or hybrid ablation for treatment of A-fib are evaluated through the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Atrial Fibrillation Clinic. This specially designed clinic provides comprehensive care and evaluation for patients with a new A-fib diagnosis or those with an existing diagnosis seeking advanced treatment options. Our team of electrophysiology providers and cardiac surgeons work together to create a custom treatment plan to meet the unique needs of each patient.
To learn more about advanced treatment options for A-fib like the maze procedure, contact the Norton Heart & Vascular Institute Heart Rhythm Center at (502) 629-AFIB (2342).
