Minimally Invasive Treatments for Atrial Fibrillation

Minimally Invasive Treatments for Atrial Fibrillation | About Mini Maze Procedure | About the Surgeons | More Information

Atrial fibrillation is a heart disorder that affects more than 2.2 million Americans and is one of the most frequent causes of stroke. With this disorder, the upper chambers of the heart develop a different rhythm from the lower chambers and cause the heart to beat irregularly.

Atrial fibrillation can cause the upper chambers of the heart to become paralyzed and form blood clots, which can eventually cause a stroke and other symptoms including:

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of blood pressure

About Mini Maze

The Shands Minimally Invasive Pulmonary Vein Isolation procedure, also known as the “Mini-Maze,” is used to treat atrial fibrillation through three small incisions on each side of the chest. Two of the incisions are about the size of a nickel, and the other incision is slightly larger. Through these “ports,” a surgeon can use a bipolar radiofrequency energy source to make precise linear scars on the heart. These ablation lines block the irregular electrical impulses that cause atrial fibrillation. During this procedure, surgeons may also remove or close off the left atrial appendage in order to reduce the risk of stroke.

Performed on a beating heart, the mini-maze procedure takes about three to four hours, and the hospital stay averages about four days. With the mini-maze, atrial fibrillation is eliminated in about 80 to 90 percent of patients.

Other treatments for Atrial Fibrillation

Abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation also can be treated with medicines that slow down the heart to restore a normal heart rhythm. Unfortunately, they do not always work in all patients.

Other treatments include blood thinners, catheter-based interventions or open-heart surgery. With the minimally invasive pulmonary vein isolation, patients can undergo a less invasive procedure that has a very high success rate.

For more information about the Shands minimally invasive treatments for atrial fibrillation, please call the Shands Consultation Center at 800.749.7424 or 352.265.8000. You also can listen to an episode of Shands HealthCast to discover more about Shands minimally invasive treatments for atrial fibrillation.

About the Surgeons

Thomas M. Beaver, MD, MPH

Dr. Beaver received his medical degree from the University of Wisconsin and completed his residencies in general surgery at the University of Colorado and in cardiothoracic surgery at The University of Florida College of Medicine.

Dr. Beaver is Director of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery and practices at both Shands at the University of Florida and Shands AGH. He is also an associate professor at the UF College of Medicine, with a joint appointment in the Divisions of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and Cardiovascular Anesthesia. Dr. Beaver’s research focuses on making cardiac and aortic surgery safer for patients through minimally invasive techniques and improved postoperative management.

Dr. Beaver’s clinical interests include minimally invasive mitral and aortic valve repair, thoracic aortic surgery, “Stent Grafting” or Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair (TEVAR) of thoracic aortic aneurysms, heart and lung transplantation and the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation.

For more information about minimally invasive pulmonary vein isolation or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Beaver, please call 352-273-5503.

William M. Miles, MD

Dr. Miles received his medical degree and residency from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University. He also completed a fellowship in cardiology at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Dr. Miles is an attending physician at Shands at the University of Florida and is also a professor of medicine at the UF College of Medicine. His clinical interests and research focus predominantly on catheter ablation of cardiac rhythm disturbances and implantable cardiac devices.

For more information on treatments for arrhythmias, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Miles, please call 352-392-2469.

Information

For more information about the Mini Maze procedure, visit Dr. Beaver's HealthCast where you can listen to Dr. Beaver discussing the procedure in greater detail. To schedule an appointment, please call the Shands Consultation Center at 800.749.7424 or 352.265.8000.