Posted by L. Paul Teague on May 11, 2004 at 10:45:32:
In Reply to: Re: Byron Marshall posted by Patrick Haley on May 07, 2004 at 16:35:54:
I was on Amiodarone for about 6 months before my Minimally Invasive Maze III surgery by Dr. Cox in late June 1998. Dr Cox required that I be off Amiodarone at least 4 weeks before the surgery. Dr. Cox -- in one of his published papers about Maze results -- stated [as I recall] that the the most common complications he had with the Maze surgery were related to long (sic) term use of Amiodarone. The most common problem was related to damage to the lungs caused by Amiodarone. [For the minimally invasive procedure, the right lung has to be collapsed and moved aside for access to the heart.] It would seem prudent that anyone who has been on Amiodarone -- and is contemplting Maze surgery -- to specifically discuss the Amiodarone treatment with the surgeon to ascertain that the surgeon is aware of Dr. Cox's experience with surgical complications associated with Amiodarone treatment.