Historical Cox-Maze IV programme evidence
The study covers 853 operations from 2003–2018, with follow-up extending to ten years. Nonparoxysmal AF and larger left atrial size were among predictors of later recurrence.
How to interpret this: This is a historical WashU cohort, not 853 operations by Khiabani. His clinical fellowship finished in 2024. Follow-up denominators shrink and the paper does not randomize Maze against catheter ablation; it cannot establish comparative superiority.
Sources: The long-term outcomes and durability of the Cox-Maze IV procedure for atrial fibrillation.