title: The pericardium-reinforced technique of amputation of the left atrial appendage: quick, safe, and simple.
abstract: Ligation or amputation of the left atrial appendage is indicated in several surgical procedures but has been shown ineffective in many cases, depending on the method used. The only 100% effective means of excluding the left atrial appendage from the circulation is by complete resection. Complicating complete resection or amputation is the thin, fragile, delicate left atrial tissue, with a certain incidence of bleeding occurring. To handle this tissue adequately, we developed a safe and easy method for amputation of the left atrial appendage using autologous pericardium as reinforcement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital Giessen and Marburg, Giessen.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Aziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rahimi
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boening
mesh_terms: D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000601:surgery*; D006325:Heart Atria; D006801:Humans; D010496:Pericardium / Q000637:transplantation*