What to Expect During a Maze Procedure

If you have a maze procedure using surgical ablation to correct your irregular heartbeat, here's what to expect.

Surgery typically takes 2–4 hours, or more, and involves a 6–8 inch incision along the breast bone (sternum) and use of the heart-lung machine to oxygenate the blood and keep it circulating through the body. A surgical ablation energy source is directed to the pulmonary veins atop the atria to create a conduction block that isolates the pulmonary veins and keeps the erratic electrical impulses from moving through the heart.

During maze surgery, the left atrial appendage, a small ear-shaped flap in the left atrium, is also removed or clamped off to reduce the risk of blood clots and stroke.

To learn more, see What to Expect After a Maze Procedure.