Partial maze procedure is effective treatment for chronic atrial fibrillation associated with valve disease

The maze procedure may be performed in combination with valve operations to treat chronic atrial fibrillation associated with valve dysfunction. Altho ugh we initially used the modified Cox maze III procedure, a more limited p artial maze procedure is now preferred because the left atrium might be con sidered as the electrical impetues for atrial fibrillation. In this study w e compared the results of 30 patients (group I) who underwent the full biat rial modified Cox maze III and 20 (group II) patients the partial maze proc edure. While the rates of restored sinus rhythm were the same in both group s at B-month follow-up (I: 83.3%, vs II: 80%), the following advantages wer e noted in the patients undergoing the partial maze procedure: shorter oper ative times, lesser elevations of creatine phosphokinase, lower rate of blo od transfusion, lower rate of junctional rhythm soon after the operation, a nd a higher P wave in those patients with restored sinus rhythm. The effect iveness of the partial maze procedure seems equal to that of the biatrial m odified Cox maze III procedure for atrial fibrillation associated with valv e disease. The partial maze procedure is simple and less invasive, and thus might be applied more frequently as an additional procedure to valve opera tions without additional risk.