A medical device, and related method, use apicaroial ablators and detectors for intraoperative epicardial approaches to ablation therapy of cardiac conduction pathways. An opicarlial gripper is sized to grasp the cardiac circumference or smaller structures on the epicardial surface of the heart. Ablators are disposed on The arms of the gripper for epicardial ablation of cardiac conduction tissue. In another embodiment of the invention, an electrode system includes a flexible, adjustable probe forming a loop for epicardial ablation. Ablators are provided on one or multiple surfaces of the probe for epicardial ablation of cardiac conduction tissue. In yet another embodiment of the invention, an endocardial ablator detection system provides an indicator adjacent an ablator on an endocardial catheter and a detector on an epicardial probe. The epicardial probe detects signals transmitted by the indicator on The ondocardial catheter to localize the position of the endocardial ablator relative to the epicardial surface. The surgeon uses this information for guidance in adjusting the position of the endocardial ablator according to therapeutic objectives of cardiac ablation.
