Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2026
28:13
Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 26, 2013
Restraint before routine: Left atrial appendage clipping beyond atrial fibrillation
1Massachusetts General Hospital, Wellman Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
Asian Cardiovascular & Thoracic Annals
|August 12, 2026
Summary
Surgical left atrial appendage (LAA) exclusion is now common in cardiac surgery, even for patients without atrial fibrillation (AF). However, its routine use lacks strong evidence, showing mixed results and potential complications.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Cardiac Electrophysiology
Background:
- Surgical left atrial appendage (LAA) exclusion is increasingly used during cardiac surgery, not just for atrial fibrillation (AF) but also in patients in sinus rhythm.
- This practice shift is driven by technical feasibility and clinical trends rather than definitive evidence.
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