surgery in atrial fibrillation
Last reviewed 05/2021
Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation is rare.
Incisions in the myocardium of the atria permit channeling of the electrical depolarisation:
- in the corridor procedure a single channel of myocardium is created which connects the sinoatrial node and the atrioventricular node
- in the maze procedure a maze of conducting strips of myocardium are created which permit channeling of depolarisation across the atria; this procedure maintains co-ordinated atrial and ventricular activity