Left atrial appendage closure
Patients with atrial fibrillation are at high risk of developing blood clots in their heart which could lead to stroke.
Most of these clots develop in a particular part of the heart called the left atrial appendage, a small pocket on the side of one of the top chambers of the heart. In the majority of cases, patients are put on a blood thinning medication to prevent these clots from forming. In certain circumstances where patients cannot take these medications however, the left atrial appendage can be closed using a device inserted through a catheter (a thin tube, inserted via the groin).