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Updated: Aug 17, 2026
Reduced Procedure Time and Variability with Active Esophageal Cooling During Radiofrequency Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: August 25, 2022
Midterm clinical experience with microwave surgical ablation of atrial fibrillation
1Legacy Health Systems, Good Samaritan Hospital, Portland, Oregon, USA. tmolloy302@aol.com
Purpose:
Multiple energy sources and lesion sets have been described as an alternative to the conventional cut-and-sew Maze procedure for atrial fibrillation (AF). Described are midterm results with microwave (MW) energy and a single left-sided lesion set so that surgeons can evaluate whether this approach may be appropriate for their patients.
Description:
Twenty-nine consecutive patients with chronic (86%) or paroxysmal (14%) AF, undergoing surgery for coexisting heart disease, also underwent MW AF ablation by the use of a single lesion set. A single preoperative and postoperative management regimen was used.
Evaluation:
One hundred percent electrocardiogram follow-up was obtained. At minimum follow-up of 4 months (mean 315 days), 23 of 28 patients (86%) were in stable sinus rhythm.
Conclusions:
The simplified lesion set performed with MW energy compares favorably with the cut-and-sew Maze procedure for patients presenting with AF and coexisting acquired cardiac disease. Connecting lesions to the mitral annulus and right-sided lesions may add potential morbidity without additional efficacy.
