Radiofrequency maze ablation for atrial fibrillation in a patient undergoing atrial septal defect repair.

Chronic atrial fibrillation affects over 2.2 million people and is associated with complications including heart failure, stroke, and exercise intolerance. Since drug therapy and cardioversion have been only partially successful in restoring sinus rhythm, surgical procedures were developed for medically refractory atrial fibrillation (1). We report a case of successful left atrial radiofrequency ablation for chronic atrial fibrillation in a patient who had a large secundum atrial septal defect.