MAZE Procedure for Atrial Fibrillation Treatment

( Note: Fibrillation is the rapid, irregular, and unsynchronized contraction of the muscle fibers of the heart.

 Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is a cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) that involves the two upper  chambers (atria) of the heart.
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During the MAZE Procedure:
 
 1. A number of incisions are made on the left and right atrium to form scar tissue
 2. The scar tissue does not conduct electricity.
 3. The scar tissue  disrupts the path of abnormal electrical impulses
 4. The scar tissue  prevents erratic electrical signals from recurring.
 5. Then the atrium is sewn together to allow it to hold blood and contract to push blood into the ventricle
 6. Although the atrium is sewn back together, the erratic electrical paths remain severed so that no unwanted electrical impulse can cross the incision.
 7. The result is what looks like a children's maze.

 In this maze,  there is only one path that the electrical impulse can take from the SA node to the AV node.
 The atrium can no longer fibrillate.

 The sinus rhythm (which is the normal rhythm of the heart) is restored back.
   
 Mostly, the Maze surgeries are concomitant (done in conjunction) with other open chest surgery,
 such as coronary artery bypass grafting, mitral valve repair and/or valve replacement.