Ligation or amputation of the left atrial appendage is indicated in several surgical procedures but has been shown ineffective in many cases, depending on the method used. The only 100% effective means of excluding the left atrial appendage from the circulation is by complete resection. Complicating complete resection or amputation is the thin, fragile, delicate left atrial tissue, with a certain incidence of bleeding occurring. To handle this tissue adequately, we developed a safe and easy method for amputation of the left atrial appendage using autologous pericardium as reinforcement.
Copyright 2010 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.