Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia affecting millions of people globally. The increasingly aging population and those with established cardiovascular risk factors (i.e., diabetes, obesity, hypertension, heart failure, and sleep apnea) are most susceptible to this arrhythmia and its dreaded complications. Although early detection, primary prevention, and anticoagulation are the most common treatment strategies, newer surgical technologies can halt disease progression, improve quality of life, and decrease mortality. While catheter ablation therapy has proven effective for new-onset paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, minimally invasive and aggressive surgical ablation procedures may offer another option for longstanding atrial fibrillation and recurrent atrial fibrillation that failed catheter ablation.