Five-year results of a modified left atrial maze IV procedure in the treatment of atrial fibrillation: a randomized study.

Background: The left atrial maze IV (LAM-IV) alone has been used to eliminate atrial fibrillation (AF) without severe right heart diseases. However, we felt that it could be improved and developed a modified LAM-IV (MLAM-IV). In this prospective trial, we aimed to investigate 5-year clinical outcomes of AF in patients treated by the novel MLAM-IV technique.