AtriCure hails first-in-man implant of left atrial appendage occluder:
This article was originally published in Clinica
AtriCure has, for the first time, implanted its CosGrove-Gillinov left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion system into a patient. The LAA is a thumb-shaped area of the atrium that is prone to developing blood clots which can then migrate to other parts of the body. The product is a clip device designed to be implanted from outside the heart, thus avoiding contact with circulating blood and eliminating blood flow between the LAA and atria. Research has suggested that patients with atrial fibrillation are particularly prone to clot formation in the LAA, which some physicians believe is associated with AF-related strokes, claimed the West Chester, Ohio firm. The device was implanted during an open heart procedure by a team of doctors from the University of Zurich in Switzerland and Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.