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.
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, 660 South Euclid, Campus Box 8234, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Anson M
AM
Lee
Spencer J
SJ
Melby
Ralph J
RJ
Damiano
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