[Dinith88]

Originally Posted by Dinith88

I just have a quick question ...if your surgeon doesnt put these patients on bypass, is he doing a maze on a beating heart??? Thoracotomy approach with bypass standby is still much more invasive than an ep-lab ablation. I'll ask the surgeons i work with to get their input.

Hey, is siri an allnurse-nazi or what!!??! (just teasing siri...before you cut this one up too!)

Anyway, apparently with a simple google-search you can find lots of info on maze-procedures. Here's a good one: http://mmcts.ctsnetjournals.org/cgi/...ts.2007.002758

The article does cover ablation with MAZE-procedure for a-fib without doing CABG or valve. Apparently the surgeon you know is one of a handful of people doing this (probably for study purposes??). Anyway, if you read over the 'discussion' it seems catheter (ep-lab) ablation is preferable because it's less invasive. And...in order to do a 'true' maze a patient has to go on bypass because (according to this article) the left atrium cant be ablated without it. The 'modified' maze with only rt atrium apparently can be done on beating heart.

But... it is clear that surgical MAZE for a-fib (without cabg or valve-repair) is NOT standard practice...again because of it's invasiveness...and i'll still get some cv-surgeons input on this...

[Burnt2]

I've NEVER seen an oblation hold; they always seem to revert

limited experience though ---I've only seen 8-12 patients with an oblation or hx of oblation for a-fib

[missionary]

My husband is 55, chronic a fibber for 7 years. He had two femoral RFablations with no good results. Last spring he was the 35th patient in Seattle to have a thoracic ablation. Now he will have great weeks in RSR but will go into A flutter rate of 120. He tolerated the flutter better than fib, but to avoid a chronic state, he's been cardioverted 4 times. He's actually weaning off Toprol (from 200mg/day to 50) and still takes 300mg. Rithmol/day.

We are going to work more on the EP aspects, determining why he can't stay in RSR. What's the best clinic in US? Mayo?

[CVICURN2003]

Originally Posted by missionary

My husband is 55, chronic a fibber for 7 years. He had two femoral RFablations with no good results. Last spring he was the 35th patient in Seattle to have a thoracic ablation. Now he will have great weeks in RSR but will go into A flutter rate of 120. He tolerated the flutter better than fib, but to avoid a chronic state, he's been cardioverted 4 times. He's actually weaning off Toprol (from 200mg/day to 50) and still takes 300mg. Rithmol/day.

We are going to work more on the EP aspects, determining why he can't stay in RSR. What's the best clinic in US? Mayo?

Our CT surgeon and our EP MD's went to a conference last week, and we are going to be a site for some research into AFIB and different procedures. When we get more info I will let you you!! Our last two MAze's went great!!