Heart operation maze
Common Questions and Answers about Heart operation maze
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Not sure about this, could be wrong, but I thought there was a big difference between a Maze III and a mini maze in terms of compexity? The Maze III requires heart bypass so yep that's extensive. The mini maze is done through small incisions through the ribs and is less traumatic on the heart then the Maz III. maybe you were thinking of the maze III?
minimaze.org has some great info on it.
I take it you are talking about a robotic min-maze. Open heart surgery for mini-maze is a bit risky and not normally done unless there are other reasons, e.g., repair a valve. That's what happened to me in November 2007. The surgery was to repair a mitral valve, and as I also suffered from AFib (may have been caused by the leaky mitral valve) a mini-maze was done. Following surgery and for about a month after I was in sinus rhythm, but that ended.
Two weeks after surgery, I developed atrial flutter, which I had never had before either surgery. I had normal sinus rhythm upon release, but a slightly elevated heart rate due to post-operative anemia. Now my heart rate varies from 65 to 120 and is often irregular. I was told it may convert to normal rhythm on its own, but I started on coumadin, but have to be therapeutic for a month before attempting cardioversion. Has anyone else experienced this after heart surgery?
A related discussion, <a href="/posts/Heart-Disease/mini-maze-and-phrenic-nerve-damage/show/1855660">mini maze and phrenic nerve damage</a> was started.
Has anyone had or heard of heart maze surgery to correct a fib? I'm scheduled to have one at the end of the month and I'm kind of scared.
Hi,
The Cox Maze is when they break the sternum and make scars that resemble a maze onto the heart to stop electrical impulses. I have had two ablations done previously and the recovery was not too bad. This has been pretty challenging, tho. In addition to having the Maze, my surgeon also closed up a hole that I had in my heart.
As you can read in my profile on this forum, I have undergone a mini-maze myself. Mine was done during open heart surgery to repair my mitral valve. The min-maze I had was a procedure in which a pattern (maze) of cuts were made in the atirum to cause scare tissue to form in the hope the "extra" electrical beat signals would be blocked. The procedure did not stop my AFib.
I am not aware of any relationship between bypass surgery and the development of a heart arrhythmia - but his heart doctors should know and let you know.
Arrhythmia is caused by "electrical" signal generation and transmission problems inside the heart and its muscles ... which are not to my knowledge "touched" in bypass surgery.
mini maze ]
This describes the Mini Maze Procedure and has a video. I am not familiar with it, but was aware of the MAZE procedure. I intend to do reading on the Mini MAZE Procedure, as it appears to be done without opening the chest or stopping the heart.
You may consider asking the Surgeon to consult with the Cardiologist (EP?) to determine the best course of treatment for your husband.
It never ceases to amaze me the progress that has been made in Medical Science.
my husband had a pacemaker implanted 6 years ago and started a variety of heart medications. In august, he underwent open-heart surgery to replace the aortic valve and one bypass (that the doctor felt would be blocked in several more years) a maze procedure was also done at the time of his surgery. My husband had been FREE of A-Fib for the 6 years prior to this surgery. He has 3 wires into his heart and for the 6 years, the pace was set low. After the surgery, the rate was turned up to 79.
Where did you have your first ablation done? Usually it takes several months after the ablation for your heart to settle down and stay on it's new "regular" pathway. It actually can take 6 mo. or longer before it's considered unsuccessful.
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I take it you are talking about a robotic min-maze. Open heart surgery for mini-maze is a bit risky and not normally done unless there are other reasons, e.g., repair a valve. That's what happened to me in November 2007. The surgery was to repair a mitral valve, and as I also suffered from AFib (may have been caused by the leaky mitral valve) a mini-maze was done. Following surgery and for about a month after I was in sinus rhythm, but that ended.
I ask my question coming from the position of having the mini-maze procedure done while I was undergoing open heart surgery for a valve repair. This was to stop my AFib. It didn't work, but I understand the "full maze had a better record of success, and I guess that is what your are scheduled to have done.
Will this be done by some "robotic" means, or will you undergo an open heart surgery procedure to do the maze? Is this to stop AFib/Flutter?
I understand you to be taking about a maze done via open heart surgery.. that being the case I agree that it isn't normally done just for AFib cure.
Again on the open heart surgery assumption, it sounds like you have other issues that in aggregate may better justify the risk.
I have had open heart surgery for repair my mitral valve a couple of years ago. And as I have AFib a (cox?) minm-maze procedure was done. It did not cure my AFib....
Sorry to read the suffering goes on, I know you have tried "everything". I don't know the answer to your question about the mini-maze but I can say it didn't stop my AFib. As I was having open heart surgery for a valve problem they did the mini-maze to see if it would stop the AFib, it didn't.
I am very sorry to read you and your husband have such a horrendous medical problem.
I too suffer from AFib and have undergone open heart surgery and had a mini maze while there to stop my AFib, it didn't. The main reason for my surgery was to repair my mitral valve, that did work.
I don't see any way anyone reading your post could offer any kind of a reasonable guess, you have to go with what your doctors tell you.
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