How Maze Surgery Works - Heart Procedures

A specialist at Cardiac Surgery Associates, Dr. Hartmuth Bittner is an experienced medical practitioner who earned his MD magna cum laude from the University of Heidelberg Medical School in Germany and completed a medical residency at Duke University. A cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon with a career spanning three decades, Dr. Hartmuth Bittner has performed various minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgeries.
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Maze surgery is often done on patients with atrial fibrillation who don't improve with medications or other treatment endeavors. Atrial fibrillation is characterized by abnormal heart rhythms that spawn from erroneous electrical activities within the upper chambers of the heart. This condition results in stray electrical signals, which consequently lead to the upper and lower chambers of the heart beating out-of-sync.

Maze surgery is uniquely designed to fend off stray signals within the upper heart chambers by blocking those signals with scar tissue. The procedure begins with an incision in the chest to access the upper heart chambers while the patient is under general anesthesia. The surgeon proceeds by making cuts in strategic areas of the chamber using a scalpel, heat, or high cold energy equipment. Scars replace the cuts as the tissue heals. The scar-tissue “maze” pattern serves as a barrier to stray signals and creates a correct electrical path for necessary signals.

Maze surgery elicits an improved quality of life in most patients, as the symptoms of atrial fibrillation (such as pounding heartbeat, weakness, and shortness of breath) fade after treatment. However, atrial fibrillation may return after time in some patients. When this happens, medication or another type of maze surgery will be needed.