The Daily Herald reports that Dr. David Affleck of Timpanogos Regional Hospital is using a procedure to relieve a disorder called atrial fibrillation - a disease expected to afflict an estimated 20 million Americans by 2010.

Symptoms include a racing heart that can beat as much as 300 times a minute. There can also be complications that lead to stroke and even death.

Affleck treats the issue by using the so-called "mini-maze" procedure.

Atrial fibrillation, or afib, is a complex disease involving misfiring nerve impulses in the heart. To cure it, those nerves surrounding the pulmonary vein need to be silenced.

The Daily Herald reports that up until now, afib has been mainly been treated by shocking the heart - a temporary fix - and through blood-thinning medications, but they only treat the symptoms.

Another option is catheter ablation, where a cardiologist runs a catheter up the groin and into the heart to burn parts of the heart to cut off errant nerve impulses.

Affleck says that the procedure he is teaching to other surgeons is more effective. It involves making two small incisions under each armpit, then using a surgical micro-camera to locate and more specifically burn the offending nerves.

The Daily Herald reports that after a mini-maze surgery, patients are usually home in about two days.