Treatments

Atrial Fibrillation Treatments

While medical management and catheter ablation are used to treat atrial fibrillation, some patients benefit from surgery. Surgery for atrial fibrillation may be an option for patients with:

• Atrial fibrillation despite medical management
• Severe symptoms
• Need for valve surgery or coronary artery bypass graft surgery
• Heart failure

At Northwestern Medicine, we offer two highly effective surgical options for treating atrial fibrillation–the Maze procedure and the hybrid Maze procedure. Both create electrical blocks or barriers that redirect abnormal electrical signals that cause atrial fibrillation, restoring the heart rhythm and normal blood flow.

Maze procedure 

This surgery may be performed to treat patients whose only cardiac condition is atrial fibrillation, or in conjunction with surgery for other heart conditions.

The classic or cut and sew Maze procedure, is performed through a sternotomy incision with the use of a heart-lung bypass machine. Electrical blocks or barriers are created in the upper heart chambers (atria), forcing electrical impulses that stimulate the heartbeat to travel to the lower chambers (ventricles).

Hybrid Maze procedure 

The minimally invasive Hybrid Maze procedure incorporates catheter ablation and surgery, and may be ideal for patients whose only cardiac condition is atrial fibrillation. The Hybrid Maze procedure does not require a sternotomy or the use of a heart-lung “bypass” machine.