News Release June 11, 2007
Surgeons at Regions are first to perform new heart procedure
Minimally-invasive procedure used to treat dangerous heart rhythm disease
June 11, 2007
St. Paul, Minn., – Heart surgeons at Regions Hospital are the first in the Twin Cities to use a new minimally-invasive treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). The mini-maze procedure has the potential to bring relief, and in many cases an actual cure, to some of the estimated 5 million Americans who suffer from AF.
The procedure eliminates the need for large incisions, a heart-lung machine and other equipment used in traditional open heart surgery. Mini-maze is performed on the normal beating heart through small incisions between the ribs. During the procedure, the surgeon uses a clamp-like tool on the affected tissue. Then a mild, painless radiofrequency energy is applied to the tissue destroying the nerves causing the irregular rhythm.
"This minimally-invasive procedure is an excellent option for patients in which drugs are ineffective or not well tolerated," says Goya Raikar, M.D., head of the hospital's cardiovascular surgery department. "Our patients who have been treated with this new technology spend less time in the hospital and return to their normal activities much more quickly than with traditional treatment."
The mini-maze is a evolution of over 25 years of cardiothoracic surgical procedures to reach a cure for this very common heart rhythm abnormality. Dr. Raikar believes that many of the millions of patients with AF may be candidates for the mini-maze procedure. For more information, visit www.minimaze.org.
Regions Hospital is a Level I Trauma Center and teaching hospital serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin for more than 130 years. Regions is a private, non-profit hospital providing outstanding care in womens health, heart, cancer, surgery, orthopaedics, neurosciences, burn, emergency care and more. Regions is part of the HealthPartners family of care. Additional information is available at regionshospital.com.
Contact: 651-254-4730
