Key result
Surgical ablation, including the standard Maze and minimally invasive procedures, provides a valid therapeutic approach for symptomatic atrial fibrillation, though optimal technique selection requires further comparative trials.
This review provides a comprehensive overview of surgical ablation techniques for atrial fibrillation, emphasizing patient selection and the evolution from the classic Cox-Maze to minimally invasive and hybrid approaches.
Supports surgical ablation for symptomatic AF in selected patients; leaves open optimal technique selection pending comparative trials.
This manuscript aims to review the current knowledge in the field of surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF), including a brief discussion regarding the standard Maze procedure, its variants, minimally invasive thoracoscopic procedures and hybrid treatments, which briefly summarizes the advantages and differences between each technique. The rationale for the surgical approach of the left atrial appendage, its different techniques and complications will also be briefly covered. To conclude, the current Expert Consensus recommendations will be reviewed and an algorithm for the surgical management of the patient with AF, suggesting which technique applies better to which patient, under specific settings, will also be proposed.
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Providência et al. (2013) conducted a review in Atrial Fibrillation. Surgical ablation was evaluated. Surgical ablation, including the standard Maze and minimally invasive procedures, provides a valid therapeutic approach for symptomatic atrial fibrillation, though optimal technique selection requires further comparative trials.
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