title: Surgical strategies and devices for surgical exclusion of the left atrial appendage: a word of caution.
abstract: In patients with chronic atrial fibrillation, 90% of clots are located in the left atrial appendage (LAA). Therefore, LAA exclusion is a means of preventing thrombus formation and subsequent thromboembolic events in these patients. The LAA can be excluded from the systemic circulation via surgical, percutaneous, or thoracoscopic approaches. The surgical aim is complete obliteration of the appendage without a significant increase in either postoperative complications (bleeding, arrhythmias) or recurrence. We discuss the current surgical techniques available for LAA obliteration and review their results.
authors: Cardiothoracic Surgery Department, University Hospital of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece.
authors: Efstratios
authors: E
authors: Apostolakis
authors: Nikolaos A
authors: NA
authors: Papakonstantinou
authors: Nikolaos G
authors: NG
authors: Baikoussis
authors: Ioanna
authors: I
authors: Koniari
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Papadopoulos
mesh_terms: D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000601:surgery*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications*; D057510:Endovascular Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008026:Ligation; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013906:Thoracoscopy; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome