Chapters Transcript Video Left Atrial Appendage Closure Dr. Robert Vernooy, Jr., M.D., discusses how he manages stroke prevention in AFIB patients by placement of a left atrial appendage closure device. Uh Doctor Robert Verno um here at Centra R MH Medical Center in Harrisonburg, Virginia. So, as a heart rhythm specialist, one of the main things that we treat is atrial fibrillation, atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia um as we get older. And so there are different avenues that we need to treat atrial fibrillation. First of all, controlling symptoms, but a very important part of treating the patient with atrial fibrillation is reducing the risk of stroke. And traditionally, all we had was blood thinners and they certainly are proven to benefit and reduce the risk of stroke. But their achilles heel is that you, you have to be on the rest of your life and they have long term risks as well. So, in a fib and stroke management, there's always a balance between benefits and risks. And before recently, we didn't, we didn't have anything else that has been proven to reduce the risk of stroke. Now, we have these left atrial appendage inclusion devices which basically fill the area where clots like the form in the heart. 90% of the clots that come from atrial fibrillation form in the left atrial appendage, which is the outpouching within the left atrium. And so it was clever to figure out that we can plug that area up and perhaps reduce the risk of stroke and bridge them for short term manic regulation. But the goal is to get them off long term manic regulation. And then we don't have the downstream downstream risks of being on that lifelong blood thinner. Yet, we can help reduce the risk of stroke. And it's been shown to be non inferior and, and, and with more and more data, we might expand our indications right now. It's really approved for people who can't tolerate long term blood thinners for whatever reason. That's a pretty decent subset of people with atrial fibrillation. Um But there's a data that we might have in the next 3 to 5 years where it may become the preferred strategy across the board in all atrial fibrillation patients, we'll have to see with the where the research goes. But certainly it has an established role for the people that can't tolerate the long term blood thinners. Published May 15, 2023 Created by Related Presenters Robert Vernooy, Jr., M.D. Sentara Cardiology Specialists View full profile
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