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Atrial Fibrillation can be successfully cured by the Wolf Mini-Maze®, now offered at the Deaconess Atrial Fibrillation Center. In addition to curing atrial fibrillation, the Wolf Mini-Maze avoids the risk of stroke by removing the left atrial appendage, where blood can pool and clot during atrial fibrillation. Unlike other procedures, such as cardioversion or cardiac catheter ablation, the Mini-Maze cures atrial fibrillation, which can become a life-threatening condition. In the six years of data currently available, the Mini-Maze has a 90 percent cure rate for atrial fibrillation. For a first-hand account, share an atrial fibrillation patient’s story.

Why haven’t you heard of this atrial fibrillation cure before now? Not all doctors know about the Wolf Mini-Maze or know how it works.

The Mini-Maze is a minimally invasive procedure and is often called "beating heart surgery." Like any surgical procedure, the Mini-Maze is best performed by experienced surgeons. Dr. Randall Wolf and Dr. William Schneeberger have performed more than 800 procedures worldwide and have trained most of the US surgeons who perform the Mini-Maze, as well as many in other countries worldwide.

For more information, come to a seminar explaining Your Options for Atrial Fibrillation. Or, you can make an appointment with the Atrial Fibrillation Center by calling 513 559-2839. Please bring your health history information with you at that time.

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Atrial fibrillation is one of the most common heart ailments, affecting four percent of the adult population. With atrial fibrillation, abnormal electrical impulse causes the atria of the heart, or upper chambers, to quiver instead of beating steadily. This erratic behavior during atrial fibrillation prevents blood from pumping out of the two smaller chambers of the heart and may cause blood to pool or clot.

Not everyone has symptoms, but atrial fibrillation can cause:

- Fatigue

- Shortness of breath

- Chest pain

- Palpitations

- Light-headedness

Older adults have a greater chance of developing AF, and studies indicate that women have a higher mortality rate. Other risk factors include:

- Overactive thyroid

- High blood pressure

- Previous history of a heart attack

- Congestive heart failure

- Heart valve disease

- Congenital disorders

Blood thinning medications are often used to treat or manage atrial fibrillation, but the medications often have serious and often unpleasant side effects. Electrical shock, or cardioversion, is also often used to treat atrial fibrillation, but is usually temporary. Catheter ablation has a lower cure rate than the Mini-Maze and can require up to four procedures. Also, catheter ablation does not address the left atrial appendage.

Pioneered by Dr. Randall Wolf, the Wolf Mini-Maze uses a bi-polar radio frequency clamp to ablate and electrically isolate the pulmonary veins where the AF triggers are located. The second part of the procedure involves the removal of the left atrial appendage, the thumblike structure of the heart that can host clot formation and lead to stroke. This minimally invasive approach results in faster recovery than traditional surgery. The hospital stay is usually a two- or three-day stay, compared to the seven-day stay of the conventional surgery.

For more information about Dr. Randall Wolf and the Wolf Mini-Maze, please visit Dr.Wolf’s website.