Patent ID: 8057471

Claim:
A method of treating atrial fibrillation with a surgical device having a head, wherein the head of the device comprises a first tip having electrodes operable to communicate electrical signals, the method comprising: a) using the device to ablate tissue between one or more pulmonary veins of a patient's heart and one or both atria of the patient's heart, wherein the tissue ablated as a result of the act of using the device to ablate tissue substantially electrically insulates the one or more pulmonary veins from the one or more atria; b) verifying whether the ablated tissue provides sufficient electrical resistance, wherein the act of verifying comprises: i) using the device to provide a pacing signal to a first tissue region proximate to a side of the ablated tissue, wherein the first tissue region is adjacent to the one or more pulmonary veins, and ii) observing the heart of the patient for heartbeat rate increase in response to the pacing signal; and c) snapping a second tip onto the head of the surgical device adjacent to the first tip, wherein the second tip has electrodes operable to communicate electrical signals, wherein the act of snapping on a second tip is performed either: i) before the act of using the device to ablate tissue, wherein the electrodes of the second tip are configured to ablate tissue, or ii) between the act of using the device to ablate tissue and the act of using the device to provide a pacing signal, wherein the electrodes of the second tip are configured to pace a heart.