The MAZE Procedure is performed by Cardiothoracic surgeons on the left and right atrium for the treatment of atrial fibrillation .
Atrial fibrillation is an abnormality of the electrical system of the heart.
The electrical signal to contract starts in the SA node and normally moves evenly across the atrium, triggering it to contract all at once. This is called sinus rhythm . Atrial fibrillation occurs when this electrical impulse no longer travels from SA node to the AV node in the normal manner. The atrium no longer contracts in a coordinated manner, but instead it fibrillates irregularly. The electrical signal to ventricle through the AV node is therefore irregular and hence the heartbeat is irregular.