Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation with maze procedure by radiofrequency ablation.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the results of treatment of atrial fibrillation (Af) with maze procedure by radiofrequency in 25 patients undergoing mitral valve replacement operation (MVRO) (treatment group) with those in 25 patients undergoing MVRO only (control group). METHODS: The maze procedure modified was completed by radiofrequency ablation with macroscopy during MVRO in the treatment group, whereas the patients in the control group underwent MVRO only. No one in the two groups took antiarrhythmic drugs before and after operation. RESULTS: The heart rhythm became stable sinus rhythm in 22 of 25 patients of the treatment group after operation and the success rate was 88.0%. Af recurred in none of the 22 patients during the follow-up for 3-24 months. In the control group, 5 patients showed transient sinus rhythm, but Af recurred when they left hospital. CONCLUSIONS: Maze procedure by radiofrequency ablation is an effective method to cure Af and its success rate was the same as that of surgical incision and cryolesion. But the former took 10-15 minutes only with light damage of atrial muscle and no bleeding, whereas the latter took 1-1.5 hours.