Patent ID: 8419729

Claim:
A method for ablating heart tissue on a heart of a patient to treat a cardiac arrhythmia, the method comprising: providing an introducer comprising a tube having a distal end and a proximal end and comprising an obturator positioned within the introducer; advancing the introducer through a first incision into the transverse sinus cavity of the patient; removing the obturator from the introducer; causing the introducer to bend, thereby partially encircling the pulmonary veins; coupling a distal end of an ablation device to the proximal end of the introducer; inserting an instrument to grasp the distal end of the introducer and to move the distal end of the introducer until the ablation device is in position at least partially encircling the pulmonary veins; contacting heart tissue with at least one tissue contacting member of the ablation device; applying sufficient suction force through the tissue contacting member to secure the contacting member to the tissue; applying ablation energy to at least a portion of the heart tissue in contact with the ablation member.