Maze Procedure for Atrial Fibrillation at Dignity Health - St. Rose Dominican Hospitals

A maze procedure is surgery to treat atrial fibrillation (AFib). AFib is a type of heart arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm). Your surgeon makes a series of very small incisions in the heart muscle and sews them back together. As the cuts heal, your body makes scar tissue that blocks the irregular heart rhythm. This allows your heart to beat normally.

Call Dignity Health - St. Rose Dominican hospitals at (702) 616-4900 or Find a Doctor online who performs maze procedure for atrial fibrillation in Las Vegas and Henderson, NV.

Why Do Surgeons Use the Maze Procedure for AFib?

Your doctor will most likely consider a maze procedure if other AFib treatments have not worked to relieve your symptoms. It can help reduce your risk of stroke, a complication of AFib.

Your doctor may recommend a maze procedure if:

• You are not able to tolerate medication therapy or it has not helped your AFib.
• You are not able to take anticoagulant or blood thinners, such as warfarin (Coumadin), apixaban (Eliquis), dabigatran (Pradaxa), and rivaroxaban (Xarelto).
• You have had a stroke or you are at high risk of having a stroke.

What to Expect During the Maze Procedure

Cardiac surgeons and thoracic surgeons perform maze procedures in a Dignity Health - St. Rose Dominican hospital setting. Your surgeon can use either open heart surgery or a minimally invasive cardiac surgery method. You may be a candidate for beating heart surgery without a heart-lung machine. With either method, you will have general anesthesia. Surgery takes about three hours.

Your surgeon will explain your specific risks and what steps you and the surgical staff can take before, during, and after surgery to help minimize them. Problems with the maze procedure are uncommon, but include the need for a permanent pacemaker to help stabilize your heart rhythm. In most cases, the benefits of maze surgery outweigh the risks. With a successful outcome, you may enjoy an improved quality of life without the distress of AFib.

Recovering from Maze Procedure in Las Vegas, NV

Hospital stays after an open heart maze procedure range from five to 10 days. A minimally invasive maze procedure requires a stay of two to three days. You will spend some of this time in an intensive care unit (ICU). Your doctor will likely refer you to a cardiac rehabilitation program to help you recover over the next several weeks. Most people get back to their normal routine in eight to 12 weeks.

A maze procedure has a high success rate. However, some people develop AFib again. If this happens, it usually responds to medication and subsides as the heart heals over the first few months after surgery.