Atrial Fibrillation Surgery

Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) affects more than 2 million people in America. It is an abnormal heart rhythm that results in a fast and irregular heartbeat. If not treated it can result in strokes, pulmonary embolism, and cardiac ischemia (a condition related to a heart attack). Fortunately, most of the complications of AFib can be prevented by treatment with combinations of medication that includes blood thinners.

For some patients, medications do not adequately control their symptoms, or they are unable to take blood thinners due to bleeding risks or the desire to become pregnant. For other people, the lifestyle restrictions required when taking blood thinners are too burdensome. For these patients, a procedure to stop AFib may be more appropriate than long-term medical therapy.

Several excellent surgical options have been developed that offer the possibility of curing AFib. The choice of procedure is tailored to the individual needs of each person evaluated by our team of cardiac surgeons and electrophysiologists (cardiologists who specialize is heart rhythms).

Among the procedures we offer to treat Afib is the Totally Thorascopic Maze. This is a minimally-invasive surgery performed through tiny incisions on the sides of the chest with the aid of high-definition video scopes. This is a new approach to a traditional surgery offered throughout the country only at specialized centers. The results have been excellent with a majority of patients being able to stop taking blood-thinners such as Coumadin.

For more information on atrial fibrillation (AFib) or the totally thorascopic maze procedure, please contact 619-532-9140 to speak to a health care professional.