Atrial Fibrillation - TT Mini-Maze Patient Center |
ATRIAL FIBRILLATION | CAUSES & SYMPTOMS | DIAGNOSIS & HEALTH RISKS | TREATMENTS THE TT MINI-MAZE PATIENT CENTER Who is a candidate for the TT Mini-Maze? Most patients with atrial fibrillation will be candidates for the TT Mini-Maze. Prior heart or chest surgery usually precludes a totally thoracoscopic approach because of the scar tissue that forms as a result of surgery. Most patients will undergo an echocardiogram and stress test prior to surgery to rule out the presence of:
Patients with these conditions will probably benefit from an open heart maze performed at the time of coronary bypass surgery or valve surgery. The TT Mini-Maze Patient Process “I’d do it again in a heartbeat!!” ...Frances Patients usually have their first visit with Dr. Pigott in the AFib Clinic on the 4th floor of the Tulane Medical Center. After reviewing all available information and performing a complete history and physical, Dr. Pigott will discuss all of the options for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. If further tests are needed, these will be scheduled and a follow-up clinic appointment arranged to discuss the results. If you are an appropriate surgical candidate and choose to undergo the TT Mini-Maze procedure, a mutually convenient surgical date will be selected. A pre-operative visit with Dr. Pigott, an anesthesiologist, and the pre-op nursing team will occur 1-5 days prior to surgery. You can expect to spend several hours at Tulane. Remember… nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before surgery, except for certain medicines. On the morning of surgery, you will report to Out Patient Surgery on the 3rd floor of Tulane Medical Center a few hours before your procedure. Dr. Pigott will see you before you go into the operating room. During the operation, staff will communicate with your family and loved ones to report your surgical progress. Under normal circumstances the procedure takes about 3 hours. Total time in the operating room is about 4 hours. You will awaken in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit on the 3rd floor of Tulane Medical Center. Your family will be permitted to briefly visit with you once you are settled in your room. You will spend 1 or 2 nights in the SICU. The soft chest drainage catheters are usually removed the day after surgery, and you will probably be discharged on the 2nd day after surgery. Your medicines at discharge may be slightly different than on admission. You will be encouraged to increase your activity and will likely return to work after one week. Dr. Pigott will closely follow your progress and give you several contact numbers. During the follow-up period, a 3 – 4 week Event Monitor will record your EKG. After reviewing the Event Monitor recording, your rhythm medicines and blood thinner will likely be discontinued.
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For an appointment in Dr. Pigott’s AFib Clinic at