Determining Whether You Are a Candidate For the Maze Procedure

Maze procedure is performed to address atrial fibrillation (or afib). Afib is a condition in which electrical impulses generated by your sinus node does not take its normal route through the AV node. Instead, they follow an alternative route, which prevents uniform sinus rhythm. As a result, the winning run in the atrium is uncertain.

Doctors can perform the Maze operation run electrical impulses along a defined route. This is achieved by creating scar tissue in his left and courtyards. This can be done through a traditional thoracotomy or minimally invasive approach. This article will describe the factors involved in determining if you are a good candidate for the Maze procedure.

Need Surgery?

It is worth noting that not all cases of atrial fibrillation require surgery. In some cases, especially those in which the symptoms are mild, your doctor will often prescribe medications. If the medications prove ineffective, the treatment strategy is called cardioversion may be used.

In the event that you decide surgery is an option, your doctor will determine if you are a good candidate. An increasing number of surgeons have adopted the minimally invasive techniques, a trend that has made ​​the maze surgery a safe option for many patients. However, since many hospitals continue to perform open-chest surgical ablation, we will describe the factors related to a candidate for an open maze.

Describing Your surgeon will take into consideration the

Your surgeon is more likely to consider candidates if medications do not reduce your symptoms, or are you able to take blood thinners. Also, let your surgeon know if you are already scheduled for another open chest surgery, such as valve repair or coronary artery bypass. Much of the risk associated with performing this type of surgery because of the opening of the chest, cutting through the sternum, ribs and expansion. Your Surgeon May be willing to perform ablation, if you are already undergoing open chest surgery.

Some medical factors may eliminate you as a candidate. If you are morbidly obese or suffer from similar serious medical condition, your surgeon may not want to do a Maze operation. While age is generally not a factor, your doctor will consider it if there are other health problems.

Tests to confirm their candidacy

When your surgeon decided that it might be a good candidate for the Maze procedure, he will order a series of tests. You will have to undergo a medical examination, computed tomography (CT), and electrocardiogram (ECG). doctor will also take X-rays of your chest in order to identify any obvious problems that pose a risk. Finally, you'll pass the test stress test the strength of your heart.

Since the minimally invasive techniques that place a far lower risk than open-chest surgical ablation Maze, criteria for candidacy is lower. Talk to your doctor and surgeon to determine the appropriate timegiven the the situation .

Congenital Heart Disease - An Overview

The term congenital heart disease refers to heart defects present in newborns, resulting in a failure of one of the structures of the heart, or blood vessels around the heart to develop normally.

a child suffering from congenital heart disease will experience obstructed blood flow from the malformed blood vessels, which forces the blood back to the heart and puts extra pressure on him. Congenital heart disease can result in a hole in the heart's wall or a bridge between the two arteries near the heart that are normally separate.

congenital heart disease, however, is a relatively common birth defect, and can be diagnosed when the baby is still in the womb. Ultrasound screening done on about the fifth month of pregnancy can pick up problems in the developing fetal heart, and in families with a history of congenital heart disease is often performed.

diagnosis of congenital heart disease
Post-natal diagnosis of congenital heart disease usually occur within a few days the child's birth. Symptoms of the disease that can lead to a diagnosis of baby's skin has a bluish tinge, or your baby is not able to breathe well. Since there are infections that can cause the same symptoms as congenital heart disease, babies physicians must be careful to eliminate them as possible causes difficulties for the baby before a definitive diagnosis.

Less can not be found until much later, sometime not until adulthood. If the doctor suspects cardiovascular problems during the physical examination, the patient will undergo echocardiogram, or even an MRI to produce an image of the heart and any abnormalities in the heart. Even X-rays can be used to determine whether a patient heart and lungs are properly located.

treatment of congenital heart disease
Because of the conditions that cause congenital heart disease can vary, the treatments vary as well. Progress in pediatric surgery mean that many infants underwent surgery to repair their heart defects. But as they matured, some of them have developed other cardiovascular problems such as arrhythmia or even heart failure.

It is important for those who were diagnosed with congenital heart disease as infants, even if these defects are repaired surgically, and continues to have regular heart check-ups during his lifetime. Because they appear to be at increased risk for serious heart problems as they age, there are now many specialty medical clinics designed for use in adult survivors of congenital heart disease. Most people with congenital heart disease will remain on medication for his entire life.