History and development of surgical procedures for atrial fibrillation.

Cox J.L. devised the Maze procedure as a radical procedure for treating lone atrial fibrillation (AF) based on the multiple re-entry theory proposed by Allessie M.A. recently, Damiano R.J. devised the Cox Maze IV procedure using a bipolar radiofrequency clamp instead of cut-and-sew lines in 2008. In Japan, Kosakai Y. modified the original Maze II procedure using cryoablation in place of cut-and-sew lines in 1994, and Sueda T. reported the efficacy of the left atrial Maze procedure for persistent AF associated with mitral valve disease in 1996. The latter procedure subsequently provided insight regarding the origin of AF for cardiologists, and Haissagierre M. discovered ectopic foci arising the from pulmonary veins as a trigger of paroxysmal AF in 1998. Other procedures, including the radial approach and the biatrial appendage-preserving Maze procedure, were also developed by Japanese surgeons. This paper reviews the history and modifications of the Maze procedure developed to eradicate AF, focusing especially on the contributions of Japanese surgeons in this field.