Left Atrial Appendage Closure

The left atrial appendage (LAA) of the heart is a common location where clots form in atrial fibrillation (AFib) patients that then embolism and cause a stroke. Closing off the LAA either surgically, with a clip or via transcatheter LAA closure device, closes the opening to the LAA to prevent clots from forming or embolizing. The clots are the reason why AFib patients need to be on anticoagulants. LAA occlusion (LAAO) enables patients to stop taking anticoagulation drugs. LAAO has been a rapidly growing segment of structural heart procedures since the approval of the first device, the Watchman, in 2015. Procedures are performed by electrophysiologists, interventional cardiologist or cardiac surgeons.

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D. Scott Lim, MD, medical director of the Advanced Cardiac Valve Center, and co-director of the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center at University of Virginia (UVA) Health in Charlottesville, and an associate professor at the University British Columbia, explains how intracardiac echo (ICE) is increasingly being used to help guide structural heart procedures.

Key details on the use of ICE to guide structural heart procedures

Scott Lim, MD, details his experience using intracardiac echo to help guide structural heart procedures with or without traditional TEE. One key benefit of ICE, he explained, is its ability to overcome imaging challenges posed by prior cardiac surgeries.

Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) with the Watchman FLX device from Boston Scientific is associated with positive outcomes and limited adverse events after one year, according to new findings published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions.[1] Many prior Watchman FLX studies, including PINNACLE FLX, had focused on the device’s performance in a controlled setting. The study’s authors hoped to gain a better understanding of its real-world impact by reviewing registry data from more than 97,000 U.S

LAAC with Watchman FLX reduces bleeding risks after AFib ablation

The new data, presented during AHA Scientific Sessions 2024, suggest LAAC with Boston Scientific's Watchman FLX could be a safe, effective alternative to OAC for limiting post-ablation strokes.

Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) with the Watchman FLX device from Boston Scientific is associated with positive outcomes and limited adverse events after one year, according to new findings published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions.[1] Many prior Watchman FLX studies, including PINNACLE FLX, had focused on the device’s performance in a controlled setting. The study’s authors hoped to gain a better understanding of its real-world impact by reviewing registry data from more than 97,000 U.S

LAAO with Watchman FLX associated with positive 1-year outcomes, real-world data confirm

Researchers hoped to gain a better understanding of the device's real-world impact by reviewing registry data from more than 97,000 U.S. patients. Overall, the Watchman FLX was linked to positive data and limited adverse events one year after treatment. 

Osso VR, a San Francisco-based virtual reality (VR) company, has developed a new VR training simulation focused on left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) procedures. The simulation is designed to offer clinicians a new way to practice LAAO procedures in a “repeatable, risk-free virtual environment.”

Cardiologist-approved VR for interventional procedures headed to ACC.24

San Francisco-based Osso VR and the American College of Cardiology have collaborated on advanced LAAO simulations. The two groups first started working together back in 2022. 

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An updated look at combining LAAO with ablation, TAVR or other interventional heart procedures

Performing two procedures at once does not appear to make a significant impact on patient safety, though it may lead to a few new risks sure to interest heart teams. 

ICE-guided Watchman procedures linked to safety concerns—is TEE better for LAAO or will things improve?

TEE and ICE are each associated with certain advantages and disadvantages, researchers explained. The new analysis included data from nearly 40,000 patients.

older patient with a doctor at their house

Learning more about AFib: 19 important topics for cardiologists, other heart specialists to investigate

New AFib recommendations from the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association covered significant ground—but there is still much more to learn, experts explained. 

Cardiologist heart

New AFib guidelines include higher recommendations for catheter ablation, LAAO

Cardiologists, electrophysiologists, surgeons and patient representatives all worked together on the updated guidelines, which were published in both the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and Circulation.

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