Background: Occlusion of the left atrial appendage( LAA) may prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. In this study, we reviewed various types of LAA occlusion techniques and results of patients underwent surgical LAA closure.
Methods: Between 2004 and 2022, 182 patients who underwent surgical LAA closure were enrolled in this study.
Results: The surgical LAA closure consisted of 90 cases of closure device, AtriCure, 63 cases of surgical excision, 13 cases of stapler excision, 3 cases of ligation, and 13 cases of internal suture ligation. During the follow-up period, there were no deaths owing to cardiogenic emboli and no cerebral infarctions.
Conclusions: Regardless of the surgical techniques, LAA closure was effective in preventing cardiogenic stroke. The AtriClip is a safe, simple, and effective and thoracoscopic LAA closure using AtriClip is expected as a less-invasive LAA management.