Surgical and Concomitant Epicardial-Endocardial (Hybrid) Ablation of Persistent and Long-Standing Persistent Atrial Fibrillation

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) has been shown to be effective for paroxysmal AF. However, for patients with persistent or longstanding persistent AF, the success rates for catheter ablation is low. The Cox-Maze procedure is the most effective non-pharmacological treatment of AF. However, due to the need for open-heart surgery and the morbidity associated with the surgical Cox-Maze procedure, minimally invasive and epicardial-endocardial (hybrid) ablation procedures have been developed. This article will review the main surgical and hybrid approaches used for the treatment of persistent and long-standing persistent AF.