The hybrid maze is a minimally invasive procedure for treatment of atrial fibrillation, pioneered by Northwestern Medicine surgeons and electrophysiologists. It is performed in two stages, both of which create scar lines in specific places in and around the heart. These scars isolate abnormal electrical signals that cause atrial fibrillation and redirect them, restoring your heart's rhythm and normal blood flow. By using this approach, all the lesions of the “classic” or “cut and sew” maze can be created without a sternotomy (a long incision along the flat bone in the middle of the chest).

The hybrid maze procedure does not require use of a heart-lung “bypass” machine and offers shorter recovery times.

This approach is not an option if you:

• Have a clot in your heart
• Have had prior heart surgery
• Require other heart surgery procedures