How is the Maze procedure ordinarily done? What kind of incision is made?
The standard approach used for open heart surgical procedures (including the Maze) is to divide the breastbone (sternum) with an incision that is approximately 10-12 inches in length. This gives the heart surgeon direct access to the heart which lies angled to the left just under the sternum. Once the surgery is completed, the sternum is wired back together and the skin is closed with absorbable suture. The sternum will knit back together in 6-8 weeks and will be just as strong once the healing process is complete. I have heard that the Maze procedure can be done through a minimally invasive technique. Dr. James L. Cox, the inventor of the original Maze procedure and chairman of Cardiovascular Surgery at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, has developed a new minimally invasive approach for the Maze, using a small “keyhole” incision on the right side of the chest. Such an approach avoids the need for dividing the breastbone (sternum) that the standard approach for heart surgery re
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