The significance of atrial fibrillation ablation in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery

Atrial fibrillation is present in close to 50% of all patients undergoing surgery for mitral valve disease.^1-3 However, surgical correction of atrial fibrillation in patients with other cardiac pathology that requires surgical intervention such as mitral valve disease was never considered as a standard approach. The Maze procedure for the treatment of atrial fibrillation was introduced in 1987 and was performed safely in hundreds of patients with excellent outcomes.^4-7 As a result, several centers have begun to combine the Maze procedure with other cardiac procedures, especially mitral valve surgery, without adding undue operative risk to patients.⁸ When properly performed, the results with this combined approach have been excellent.^9,10