Abstract
Anticoagulation with warfarin and the new anticoagulants remain the standard treatment of AF to prevent strokes. However, there are patients who bleed on anticoagulation therapy; the bleeding often occurs through the gastrointestinal system and into the brain. These patients are at risk for repeated bleeding. Moreover, many of these patients have a high risk of stroke if left without anticoagulation. Echocardiographic and autopsy studies have demonstrated that the left atrial appendage (LAA) is the major source of clots in patients with AF. The obvious solution to this problem is to insert a device to close the LAA. In this chapter the author discusses the role of several devices including the Watchman, Amplatzer Cardiac Plug and Amulet, and the Lariat device for LAA occlusion.
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Gomes, J.A. (2020). Novel Devices for Stroke Prevention. In: Heart Rhythm Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45066-3_34
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-45066-3_34
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