Posted by Jack Drum on March 29, 2002 at 10:10:05:
In Reply to: I have a question about theMaze procedure posted by Sandy Roberts on March 28, 2002 at 14:51:16:
Sandy, one of the reason many people go to Cleveland is it's # 1 ranking of heart hospitals in the nation.
Also Dr. McCarthy has been very active in the Maze surgery field.
This doesn't mean you get any less quality of a procedure in your hospital. I had my surgery at OSF, St. Francis Medical Center, in Peoria, Illinois, and I don't think anyone could of had any better care, and came through it any better, with a more complete cure than I did.
Several surgeons are modifying the maze trying to make it faster, with less time on the heart pump, or doing the maze on a beating heart. They can produce a lesion on the heart with Cryo, RF heat, microwave, and other types of energy faster than they can cutting and sewing. The only problem is, they cannot be certain that the lesion they just established on the heart is as much of a barrier to the errant impulses that cause atrial fibrillation as the cut and sew lesion.
Different surgeons at the CC, are performing the maze with their own modifying techniques. I am not sure what will be the final, or if they will ever decide on which is actually the best way to make the lesions. Dr. Gillinov at the Cleveland Clinic is working with a microwave technique to make the lesions, and hopes to eventually perform the maze with the minimal technique, on a beating heart. This would be great if the cure rate was comparable to what they are doing now.
Hope this helps some.
- Re: I have a question about theMaze procedure Carol Mero 18:56:08 4/01/2002 (0)