Mini-Maze Procedure—Minimally Invasive Surgery
(Wolf Mini-Maze)
Definition
The mini-maze procedure is a type of heart surgery. It is done through the upper chambers of the heart. The chambers are called the atria.
Traditional maze surgery requires opening the chest and stopping the heart. A mini-maze is done with small incisions and special surgical tools. This often leads to shorter recovery and lower risk of infection.
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Reasons for Procedure
Maze is done to treat atrial fibrillation. Fibrillation is abnormal beating of the heart.
Maze is used to treat severe cases that were not helped by medicine and other procedures.
Possible Complications
Problems are rare, but all procedures have some risk. The doctor will go over problems that could happen, such as:
- Excess bleeding
- Problems from anesthesia such as wheezing or sore throat
- Infections
- The need to switch to an open procedure
- Damage to organs or structures
- Stroke
- Death
Things that may raise the risk of problems are:
What to Expect
Prior to Procedure
The surgical team may meet with you to talk about:
- Anesthesia options
- Any allergies you may have
- Current medicines, herbs, and supplements that you take and whether you need to stop taking them before surgery
- Fasting before surgery, such as avoiding food or drink after midnight the night before
- Whether you need a ride to and from surgery
- Specialists you may need to see
- Tests that will need to be done before surgery
Anesthesia
The doctor will give general anesthesia. You will be asleep.
Description of the Procedure
Two small incisions will be made along the side of the chest wall. A small camera will be inserted through one of the incisions. The doctor will look at the heart with this camera. A second tool will be used to create small areas of scar tissue. The tip of the tool uses extreme cold or radiowaves to destroy small areas of tissue. This process is called ablation.
Once the chosen areas have been treated, the instruments will be removed. The skin will be closed with stitches or staples. A bandage will be placed over the site
How Long Will It Take?
About 3 to 4 hours
Will It Hurt?
Medicines will help ease any pain and discomfort.
Average Hospital Stay
About 3 days
Post-procedure Care
At the Hospital
After the procedure, the staff may:
- Give you medicines to control pain or nausea
- Give you IV fluids
During your stay, the hospital staff will take steps to lower your risk of infection such as:
- Washing their hands
- Wearing gloves or masks
- Keeping your incisions covered
There are also steps you can take to lower your risk of infection such as:
- Washing your hands often and reminding visitors and staff to do the same
- Reminding staff to wear gloves or masks
- Not letting others touch your incisions
At Home
Recovery takes up to 3 to 4 weeks. Certain activities will be limited during this time.
Call Your Doctor
Call your doctor if you are not getting better or you have:
- Signs of infection, such as fever and chills
- Fast or pounding heartbeats
- Redness, swelling, excessive bleeding, or discharge from the incision
- Lasting nausea or vomiting
- Pain that you cannot control with the medicine
- Problems passing urine
- Pain or swelling in your feet, calves, or legs
- New or unexpected symptoms
Call for medical help or go to the emergency room right away if you have:
- Sudden chest pain
- Sudden problems breathing
- Problems with vision or speaking
- Numbness or weakness on one side of your body
If you think you have an emergency, call for medical help right away.
RESOURCES:
American Heart Association
http://www.heart.org
Heart Rhythm Society
http://www.hrsonline.org
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Canadian Heart Rhythm Society
http://www.chrsonline.ca
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
http://www.heartandstroke.ca
REFERENCES:
Atrial fibrillation. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/atrial-fibrillation. Accessed July 20, 2021.
Cardiac rhythm disturbances. Society of Thoracic Surgeons website. Available at: https://ctsurgerypatients.org/adult-heart-disease/cardiac-rhythm-disturbances. Accessed July 20, 2021.
García-Villarreal OA. Standardization in maze procedure: a step towards a better future. J Thorac Dis. 2018;10(Suppl 33):S3887-S3889.
Maze procedure for treatment of atrial fibrillation. University of Michigan Health website. Available at: https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/tv6752. Accessed July 20, 2021.
Maze surgery. Texas Heart institute website. Available at: https://www.texasheart.org/heart-health/heart-information-center/topics/maze-surgery. Accessed July 20, 2021.
Last reviewed July 2021 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Michael J. Fucci, DO, FACC Last Updated: 7/20/2021