Left atrial appendage occlusion using an amplatzer cardiac plug.

摘要

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are at an increased risk of cardioembolic stroke. In this heart rhythm disorder, blood clots form in the left atrial appendage (LAA) in 90% of cases1. As an alternative of surgical closure, percutaneous exclusion of the LAA is a new approach used to prevent strokes in high-risk patients with AF and contraindication to long-term oral anticoagulant therapy. Currently, three devices have been developed specifically for percutaneous occlusion of the LAA: (i) the PLAATO system, (ii) the WATCHMAN filter system and (iii) the recently released AMPLATZER cardiac plug.