ST. LOUIS, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- The "mini-Maze" is a minimally invasive version of the Cox-Maze procedure that scars the heart for those with atrial fibrillation, says a U.S. expert.
Dr. Richard Lee, a Saint Louis University School of Medicine cardiac surgeon, recently became the first surgeon in the state of Missouri and one of only a handful in the country to perform the mini-Maze, which is for patients with non-continuous atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation is a condition that occurs when the upper and lower chambers of the heart begin beating at mismatched rhythms. Left untreated, it increases the risk of stroke and can lead to long-term heart failure.
With the help of micro-miniature television cameras, surgeons ablate -- or destroy tissue by burning it -- and electrically isolate the pulmonary veins, where the triggers that activate atrial fibrillation are located.
"There are now studies that show it has a 90 percent success rate at curing atrial fibrillation," Lee says. "Patient safety is my number one priority, and I believe the mini-Maze has tremendous potential to make people's lives better."
