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Your heart works tirelessly to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body rsspect.org Your other organs rely upon this oxygen to perform their jobs effectively ambafrance-kwt.org If they are unable to access a sufficient supply, they can suffer damage bruceonbass.com There are many conditions that can affect your heart's ability to pump blood efficiently bubblewonder.com One of them is known as atrial fibrillation (also called Afib). The American Heart Association estimates that over 2 million people in the U.S call2avoidforeclosure.com are afflicted with this disorder cdnoblehomes.com A procedure known as maze surgery can be used to correct it charmingdallashomes.com Below, we'll briefly explain how your heart works and what occurs with atrial fibrillation. We'll also describe some of the complications patients experience and how maze surgery resolves the issue. Overview Of How Your Heart Works Your heart muscle (HM) has two upper chambers called atria and two lower chambers called ventricles. Blood moves between these chambers as the result of contractions. The contractions are caused by electrical signals that are generated by a special group of cells in the right atrium called the sinoatrial node (or, sinus node). Each impulse produces a heartbeat. Each signal first travels across the surface of both the left and right atria. As this happens, the two chambers contract and push blood into the ventricles. Between the atria and ventricles lies the atrioventricular node (or, AV node). Once an electrical impulse has traveled across the two upper chambers, it arrives at the AV node. There, it pauses as the lower chambers fill with blood. Once the ventricles have completely filled, the signal leaves the atrioventricular node. It spreads across the surface of the two lower chambers and causes them to contract. With Afib, the signals do not emanate from the sinus node. Instead, they start elsewhere in the atria (typically, in the left pulmonary veins) and spread unevenly across their surface. The abnormal signals cause the upper chambers to quiver. Risks And Complications Of Afib Because the atria fibrillate, they are unable to pump blood efficiently into the ventricles. As a result, they do not empty completely; some of the blood pools within them. If this situation persists, the blood that fails to leave the atria becomes stagnant and begins to form blood clots. This can be dangerous. A portion of a blood clot can break off and move out of the heart's left ventricle. If this happens, the piece may roam with the bloodstream toward one of the arteries in the brain. If the piece clogs an artery, it may cause a stroke. How Maze Surgery Controls The Electrical Signals The maze procedure was designed to cure atrial fibrillation. A surgeon uses an ablation device to create lesions on the surface of the atria. These lesions turn into scar tissue, which function as a conduction block for the erratic electrical signals. Because the signals are unable to cross the conduction block, a surgeon can use the lesions to create a maze through which to guide them. This prevents the heart's upper chambers from fibrillating, and restores a normal rhythm. Slowing The Ventricles Due to the disorganized electrical impulses that arrive at the atrioventricular node, the ventricles contract much faster than normal. This prevents them from pumping blood efficiently to the rest of the body. If this continues, it can result in heart failure. In severe cases, one of the methods for slowing the contractions of the two lower chambers is to destroy the atrioventricular node. This is done with radiofrequency ablation. It requires that a pacemaker be installed to stimulate ventricular contractions in the future. Maze surgery is one of the most effective ways to resolve atrial fibrillation. If there are no symptoms, it may be unnecessary to move forward with the operation. Otherwise, ask your physician whether he or she recommends the maze procedure given your personal circumstances.
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