In Maze Cryoablation, scarring occurs in response to cryolesions or frozen scars formed by an Argon-powered cold probe. Benefits to the cryoblation approach include a shorter surgery with less time under anesthesia.
In traditional Maze surgery to treat atrial fibrillation, multiple incisions are created along the right and left atrium in order form scar tissue. Scar tissue will not conduct electricity and will disrupt the path of and prevent future abnormal electrical impulses characteristic of atrial fibrillation.
The Maze procedure creates a three-dimensional maze of incisions to form scar tissue that blocks the abnormal electrical patterns responsible for the arrhythmia. The Maze corrects all three problems associated with A-fib by:
Cryoablation treats and cures cardiac arrhythmias by electrically isolating lesions using cold energy which is considered a more efficient and effective procedure than the traditional method of using heat. During the CryoAblation procedure, doctors insert a catheter (via the groin) into the veins that lead to the left upper chamber of the heart. A balloon at the end of the catheter is inflated, touching the tissue around the vein. A coolant is released into the balloon to freeze and ablate the tissue, creating a ring around each vein.
This procedure is the gold standard surgical therapy with a proven efficacy in the treatment of atrial fibrillation.
