HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): James S. Gammie John C. Laschinger James M. Brown Robert S. Poston Bartley P. Griffith Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gammie, J. S. Articles by Griffith, B. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gammie, J. S. Articles by Griffith, B. P. Related Collections Electrophysiology - arrhythmias

Ann Thorac Surg 2005;80:876-880
© 2005 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

---

Original article: Cardiovascular

A Multi-Institutional Experience With the CryoMaze Procedure

^a Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore
^b St. Joseph Medical Center, Towson, Maryland

Accepted for publication March 18, 2005.

^_* Address reprint requests to Dr Gammie, Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Maryland Medical Center, N4W94, 22 South Greene St, Baltimore, MD 21201 (Email: jgammie{at}smail.umaryland.edu).

Presented at the Fifty-first Annual Meeting of the Southern Thoracic Surgical Association, Cancun, Mexico, Nov 2–4, 2004.

BACKGROUND: The Cox Maze III operation remains the gold standard for the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF). We report our experience using a flexible argon-powered metal cryoprobe for creation of the complete Cox-Maze III lesion set in patients with AF (the CryoMaze operation).

METHODS: Beginning July 2002, 38 patients underwent the CryoMaze operation. Two patients had isolated CryoMaze procedures, whereas 36 patients had the CryoMaze performed in combination with coronary, valvular, or aortic surgery. All patients had electrocardiographic follow-up. Atrial fibrillation was continuous in 79%. Mean duration of AF before operation was 48 months.

RESULTS: There were no complications related to the use of cryoenergy. There was 1 hospital death (2.6%) and no late deaths. At a mean follow-up of 12 months, 35 of 37 patients (95%) were in normal sinus rhythm. One patient required pacemaker implantation 3 months after surgery, and 1 patient refused follow-up. There have been no early or late thromboembolic events.

CONCLUSIONS: The CryoMaze operation reliably cures atrial fibrillation at medium term follow-up, with rates identical to those reported for the classic Cox-Maze III operation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				G. Reyes, A. Benedicto, J. Bustamante, A. Sarraj, J. Manuel Nuche, P. Alvarez, and J. Duarte Restoration of atrial contractility after surgical cryoablation: clinical, electrical and mechanical results Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery, October 1, 2009; 9(4): 609 - 612. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. S. Gammie, P. Didolkar, L. S. Krowsoski, M. J. Santos, A. J. Toran, C. A. Young, B. P. Griffith, S. R. Shorofsky, and T. J. Vander Salm Intermediate-term outcomes of surgical atrial fibrillation correction with the CryoMaze procedure. Ann. Thorac. Surg., May 1, 2009; 87(5): 1452 - 1458. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Wang, X. Meng, H. Li, Y. Cui, J. Han, and C. Xu Prospective randomized comparison of left atrial and biatrial radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of atrial fibrillation Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., January 1, 2009; 35(1): 116 - 122. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. B. Rahmanian, F. Filsoufi, S. Salzberg, A. Coppolino, J. G. Castillo, and D. H. Adams Surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation using cryothermy in patients undergoing mitral valve surgery Interactive CardioVascular and Thoracic Surgery, December 1, 2008; 7(6): 990 - 995. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Calkins, J. Brugada, D. L. Packer, R. Cappato, S.-A. Chen, H. J.G. Crijns, R. J. Damiano Jr, D. W. Davies, D. E. Haines, M. Haissaguerre, et al. HRS/EHRA/ECAS Expert Consensus Statement on Catheter and Surgical Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation: Recommendations for Personnel, Policy, Procedures and Follow-Up: A report of the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS) Task Force on Catheter and Surgical Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation Developed in partnership with the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) and the European Cardiac Arrhythmia Society (ECAS); in collaboration with the American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA), and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). Endorsed and Approved by the governing bodies of the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the European Cardiac Arrhythmia Society, the European Heart Rhythm Association, the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and the Heart Rhythm Society. Europace, June 1, 2007; 9(6): 335 - 379. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. C. Lall, S. J. Melby, R. K. Voeller, A. Zierer, M. S. Bailey, T. J. Guthrie, M. R. Moon, N. Moazami, J. S. Lawton, and R. J. Damiano Jr The effect of ablation technology on surgical outcomes after the Cox-maze procedure: A propensity analysis J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., February 1, 2007; 133(2): 389 - 396. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. M. Gillinov, S. Bhavani, E. H. Blackstone, J. Rajeswaran, L. G. Svensson, J. L. Navia, B.G. Pettersson, J. F. Sabik III, N. G. Smedira, T. Mihaljevic, et al. Surgery for Permanent Atrial Fibrillation: Impact of Patient Factors and Lesion Set Ann. Thorac. Surg., August 1, 2006; 82(2): 502 - 514. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]