The surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation is a complex disease affecting a significant portion of the general population. Although medical therapy is the mainstay of treatment, intervention plays an important role in selected patients. The Cox-Maze procedure is the gold standard for the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation and has more than 90% success in eliminating atrial fibrillation. Ablation technologies have played a key role in simplifying this technically demanding procedure and making it available to more patients. A myriad of new lesion sets and approaches were introduced over the last decade which has made the operative treatment of atrial fibrillation less invasive and more confusing.
Lee
Anson M
AM
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, 660 South Euclid, Campus Box 8234, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Melby
Spencer J
SJ
Damiano
Ralph J
RJ
D055011:Ablation Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000145:classification / Q000601:surgery*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac; D006801:Humans; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000601:surgery