Left Atrial Appendage Closure
What is a Left Atrial Appendage Closure?
The Left Atrial Appendage Closure, or Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion is a minimally invasive procedure which closes off the opening of the left atrial appendage to prevent stroke-causing blood clots.
Your left atrial appendage is a small pouch, shaped like a windsock, found in the top left chamber of your heart (the left atrium). The left atrial appendage is the source of 90% of stroke-causing bloods clots in people with atrial fibrillation.
Left atrial appendage closure may be an alternative to long term oral anticoagulant medications for some people. Anticoagulant medications are a common treatment for atrial fibrillation to reduce risk of stroke, but they are not suitable for everyone. For some patients the bleeding risk posed by an oral anticoagulant medication is excessively high. For these patients who are also at high risk of stroke from atrial fibrillation, left atrial appendage occlusion is an alternative.
Left Atrial Appendage Closure is available
Left Atrial Appendage Closure is a procedure generally performed by an Interventional Cardiologist, not an Electrophysiologist.
Through Queensland Cardiovascular Group, Atrial Fibrillation patients can access both the Electrophysiologists, as well as Interventional Cardiologists for comprehensive management.
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