The aMAZE Study Will Evaluate the Benefits of Using the LARIAT Procedure Before Catheter Ablation

January 23, 2017

  • Summary:  The aMAZE Study for persistent or longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation will evaluate whether a LARIAT procedure before catheter ablation can help
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The aMAZE Study should determine if adding the LARIAT procedure before a catheter ablation can help patients with persistent or longstanding persistent afib.

The study has two groups, those who have the LARIAT procedure followed by catheter ablation and those who have catheter ablation only.

The LARIAT procedure closes off the left atrial appendage (LAA) non-surgically, using a loop of suture material. In the procedure, a catheter delivers the suture loop, slips it around the LAA, and tightens it around the LAA to close it off, isolating the LAA and potentially reducing its ability to cause afib.

While the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the LARIAT procedure for use in general surgery to close soft tissue, this use — closing the LAA in Afib patients also receiving catheter ablation — is investigational.

To learn more about the study, including who is eligible and what centers are participating, see: