Use of radiofrequency ablation in the modified maze procedure.

Atrial fibrillation secondary to long-standing mitral valve disease is very common. The maze procedure carried out along with mitral valve surgery reverts many of these patients back to sinus rhythm. Using radiofrequency ablation to carry out the maze procedure during mitral valve surgery gives results comparable to those from the Cox surgical maze procedure. We present our experience with 3 patients of rheumatic mitral valvular disease in whom radiofrequency ablation was used for the maze procedure.