(LUBBOCK) – Covenant Health is proud to offer the Mini-Maze™ ablation procedure for patients suffering from atrial fibrillation (AF).
AF is a common heart condition where the upper part of the heart beats irregularly and much too fast due to receiving extra electrical signals. This causes it to quiver, or fibrillate, and affects the heart’s ability to efficiently pump blood into the body.
Some people with AF have no symptoms and are unaware of their condition until it’s discovered during a physical examination. Those who do have AF symptoms may experience:
• Palpitations, which are sensations of a racing, uncomfortable, irregular heartbeat or a flopping in your chest• Decreased blood pressure• Weakness• Lightheadedness• Confusion • Shortness of breath• Chest pain mimicking a heart attack A patient suffering from AF, but who is otherwise healthy, may be a candidate for the Mini-Maze™ ablation procedure. The procedure, performed by Dr. Muhammed Ali, an electrophysiologist for Covenant, and Dr. Ralph Paone, a cardiovascular surgeon, consists of identifying the area of the heart where abnormal electrical signals are getting through and then blocking those signals.
The physicians then scar the ablations to block those signals, and remove the left atrial appendage where stroke-causing clots form most often. The procedure usually takes between two and four hours and has a typical hospital stay of three to four days.
For more information about the Mini-Maze procedure, call 1.866.4COVENANT (1.866.426.8362).