Left atrial appendage closure with device for atrial fibrillation

Benedetto Massimo and Fazio Giovanni

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
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