[A case of modified maze operation for atrial fibrillation accompanied by mitral stenosis]

A 45-year-old man suffering from mitral stenosis and atrial fibrillation underwent a mitral commissurotomy and received a modified maze operation. In order to preserve the sinus node artery, we used a new incision line differing from that of Cox and introduced a cryosurgery. After the operation, atrial fibrillation disappeared. The atrial kick was also clearly observed by the echocardiogram. We think that combined operations have advantage both to cure atrial fibrillation and to deal with the mitral valve easily.