Left atrial appendage closure device
Find a heart specialistIf you have atrial fibrillation (AFib), taking blood thinners might be enough to help prevent blood clots from forming in the upper chamber of the heart. But if taking blood thinners isn’t safe for you and you’re at risk for stroke, your doctor may recommend a left atrial appendage closure device.
What is a left atrial appendage closure device?
A left atrial appendage (LAA) is a small, ear-shaped pouch in the top left chamber of the heart. Most clots during AFib will form in this pouch. The closure device is implanted to help prevent blood clots in the LAA from entering the blood stream.
This cutting-edge treatment option may help:
- Reduce your risk of stroke, especially if you have AFib where blood thinners can’t be given and you’re at high risk of stroke
- Eliminate long-term need for blood thinners
- Reduce serious bleeding risks caused by blood thinners
Your doctor will do an echocardiogram and choose an LAA closure device that’s the right size for you. One such device is the Watchman, a permanent implant that is placed in the heart’s LAA.
Prior to surgery you'll see your physician or surgeon for personalized guidelines to prepare for surgery including:
- Refraining from eating or drinking anything after midnight the night before your procedure
- How to get ready for your procedure including any medications you may need to stop taking
- Answering your questions and concerns
- Possible success rates, risks and other options
- Need for medications and if you’ll need more than one procedure
The procedure lasts about two hours. You’ll receive a general anesthetic, so you’ll be asleep before the procedure begins.
After numbing the area in your groin, your doctor will thread catheters through a blood vessel to the upper chamber of your heart and implant the device.
Most likely you’ll stay in the hospital overnight. Be sure to arrange for someone to drive you home.
You should be able to return to work a few days after surgery as well as resume normal activities.
Your doctor will provide a detailed follow-up plan for you to help ensure you have the best possible results. You’ll also need to take blood thinners for four to six weeks.
Placing your trust in our team
People from around eastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois choose our hospitals and clinics for our track record of safety and excellence. When you choose Aurora for your heart and vascular imaging tests, you can feel confident with our:
- National ranking: U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks our heart program among the best in the country. We’re dedicated to improving and transforming heart care.
- Top team: Our cardiac electrophysiology department – the team that does procedures – is one of the most active programs in the country. All our doctors are board certified, passing rigorous, voluntary tests of skills and knowledge. We train several physicians every year from the U.S. and abroad.
- Expertise: We perform several hundred ablation procedures a year and our team was one of the first teams in the U.S. to perform ablation over 30 years ago. We implant or replace more than 800 devices every year. These procedures are one of our specialties.
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