Left atrial appendage closure with device for atrial fibrillation
Keywords:
atrial fibrillation, cardioembolic stroke, left atrial appendage, watchman, amulet, lobe, lid, transesophageal echocardiogram, acunavAbstract
Atrial fibrillation is the most common observed arrhythmia in clinical practice and it represents an
important risk factor for cardio-embolism and cardio-embolic stroke. Atrial fibrillation patients have a
5 fold increase in stroke events. In non-valvular atrial fibrillation over 90% of thrombus formation is
within the left atrial appendage and therefore prevention of embolization to systemic circulation and in
particular to cerebral circulation goes through a therapy that has the left atrial appendage as the main
target. Several anatomo-pathological studies and observations during open heart surgery confirm these
data and give a rational basis to this point of view.