We talk very little on this site about the left atrial appendage and it's relationship to thrombus formation, particularly with Atrial fib. I came across this article today and found it interesting. As part of my MVR surgery I also had my left atrial appendage sutured closed. A few months later when I was hospitalized, with an ischemic event supposedly caused by a clot, an elctrophysiologist who didn't know I had already had it done brought up the idea that I should have it done. It wouldn't therefore be useful in my case but I wonder if the use of this device would decrease on-pump time during surgery. My surgeon had told me that sewing down the atrial appendage was one of the reasons my surgery took longer than expected.
http://www.atritech.net/device.aspx?id=108
http://www.atritech.net/device.aspx?id=108
