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Updated: Jan 5, 2026

The WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure Device for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 28, 2012
Pulmonary artery perforation caused by a left atrial appendage closure device
Cong Lu1,2, Jie Zeng3, Qingguo Meng4
1Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Abstract:
We describe a female patient who received hybrid catheter intervention and occlusion of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and left atrial appendage (LAA). Four hours after the procedure, pericardial tamponade suddenly occurred. Surgical exploration of the heart found that a fixation hook of the WATCHMAN device, had protruded through the LAA wall and tore the dilated pulmonary artery (PA). This is the first case report to describe PA perforation caused by barbs of the WATCHMAN device, and more attention should be paid to the relationship between the LAA and its adjacent structures before LAA closure.
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