Maze Procedure

About This Procedure

Massachusetts General Hospital Corrigan Minehan Heart Center physicians perform the Maze procedure to treat some patients with atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter. This condition occurs when electrical signals in the atria (the two small chambers of the heart) are fired in an uncontrolled manner, causing electrical signals to arrive in the ventricles in an irregular, often rapid, fashion.

Though many patients can treat atrial fibrillation with medications and other non-invasive therapies, some patients are eligible for the Maze surgical procedure. Named for the incision pathways created by surgeons, the Maze procedure is designed to block the path of the arrhythmia. This in turn, controls atrial fibrillation and/or atrial flutter.

During the procedure, lesions are made in the atria that block the pathway of the abnormal electrical impulse. These precise lesions allow electrical impulses to travel through the heart normally following the procedure.

Advantages

Physicians at the Mass General Hospital Corrigan Minehan Heart Center perform the Maze procedure alone or in combination with other procedures. If a patient is in need of multiple complex procedures, Corrigan Minehan Heart Center surgeons are well-versed in combination procedures.