Eisenhower Physician, One of Only Four U.S. Physicians,

Invited to Speak on Cardiovascular Surgery in Japan

During the spring bloom of cherry blossoms, April 10 to 14, S. N. Mitruka, MD, Board Certified Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Eisenhower Medical Center, traveled to Morioka, Japan, to speak at the Japanese Society for Cardiovascular Surgery 36th Annual Meeting. Dr. Mitruka presented four lectures based on “The Irrigated Radiofrequency Maze Procedure” and “Current Surgical Therapy for Atrial Fibrillation.”

The Maze Procedure, used to cure atrial fibrillation, involves the scarring of muscle tissue in a maze pattern to interrupt electrical impulses in the heart. The Irrigated Maze Procedure is the utilization of saline in the setting of radiofrequency energy. “When we started our program four years ago, we went through all the energy sources [technologies], and after due diligence, we realized that irrigated radiofrequency is the best way to go in terms of safety, efficacy, and efficiency,” explains Dr. Mitruka.

One of the nation’s most experienced facilities performing the Irrigated Maze Procedure, Eisenhower is also a teaching site for surgeons worldwide who come to observe Dr. Mitruka and Joseph Wilson, MD, Board Certified Cardiothoracic Surgeon, in the operating room.