Background: The Cox maze procedure yields good results for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, patients with predictors of failure-chronic long-standing AF, low amplitude fibrillatory waves, and large left atriums-are generally thought not to benefit from a maze procedure. We report an aggressive approach for these patients, utilizing biatrial reduction plasty concomitantly with the Cox maze procedure for AF.
Methods: A complete Cox maze procedure utilizing supplemental RF ablation was performed in 36 patients. All underwent resection of both atrial appendages and biatrial reduction plasty encompassing resection of the left atrial posterior wall from left to right pulmonary veins and from inferior pulmonary veins to the mitral annulus, as well as removal of the right atrial lateral wall. Mitral or tricuspid valve repair, or both, was performed on 32 patients.
Results: These patients had a mean AF duration of 45 +/- 89 months. Their preoperative left atria measured 66 +/- 16 mm, with mean AF waves of 0.74 +/- 0.3 mm. Mean preoperative New York Heart Association class was 2.7 +/- 0.7 and left ventricular ejection fraction was 48 +/- 9. Cross clamp and bypass times were 91 +/- 35 minutes and 124 +/- 33 minutes, respectively. The average posterior left atrial tissue resected was 5.4 x 2.1 cm, and mean resected atrial weight was 10.3 +/- 2 g. There were no deaths and length of stay was 5.5 +/- 2 days. At a follow-up time of 19 +/- 16 months, 32 of the 36 patients were in normal sinus rhythm and New York Heart Association class I.
Conclusions: Aggressive biatrial reduction plasty Cox maze procedure was effective in 89% of these "low success" AF patients. This simple procedure can extend utilization of the Cox maze procedure to more patients with chronic AF.