Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion for Prevention of Thromboembolic Events

More than 600  000 patients in the United States undergo cardiac operations each year, including coronary artery bypass graft operations, valve repair or replacement procedures, or other more complex operations. Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who undergo these procedures are at risk for postoperative th romboembolic complications, with the left atrial appendage being a common site of thrombus formation. Occlusion of the left atrial appendage may reduce the risk of thromboembolic stroke and can be performed intraoperatively at the time of cardiac operations. The most common surgical approaches to ac hieve left atrial appendage occlusion involve obliteration of the atrial appendage orifice using staples, sutures, or an occluding device. Evidence regarding reduction of thromboembolic events from surgical left atrial appendage occlusion (S-LAAO) is limited, especially among older patients.
Source: JAMA - Category: General Medicine Source Type: research