ABSTRACT
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common kind of arrhythmia,it is one of the main reasons causing ischemic stroke in aged patients.Left atrial appendage is the primary site where the thrombus is formed in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients.Recent researches have indicated that occlusion of left atrial appendage can effectively reduce the occurrence of ischemic stroke in NVAF patients,its curative effect is no less than the preventive treatment effect of warfarin.The use of an ideal left atrial appendage occluder is the key to ensure a successful occlusion of the left atrial appendage.After decades of research,several left atrial appendage occluders have been developed,among them Watchman occluder and Amplatzer cardiac plug (ACP) are commonly used nowadays in clinical practice,and some kinds of occluder are still at their experimental research stage.This article aims to make a brief introduction about the current status of the study and the clinical application of left atrial appendage occluder.(J Intervent Radiol,2017,26:281-284)
ABSTRACT
Objective To introduce a self-developed left atrial appendage occluder,LACBES,and to explore the clinical feasibility of using it for the occlusion of left atrial appendage (LAA).Methods Eight healthy canines were used in this experimental study.The LAA of each canine was occluded with LACBES occluder through trans-femoral vein approach.After the procedure of occlusion,the compression ratio of the occluder was calculated,the residual shunt was assessed by left atrial angiography.The left atrium pressure was monitored before and after the procedure,and the immediate effect of LAA occlusion on the left atrium pressure was statistically analyzed.Results Implantation of LACBES occluder was successfully accomplished in all the eight canines.The compression ratio of the occluders ranged from 10％ to 15％.Small amount of postoperative residual shunt was detected in one canine.After occlusion two canines died of procedure-related complications,including shifting of occluder and formation of hematoma at puncturing site.No device-associated death occurred.After occlusion,the left atrial systolic pressure increased instantly,which went up from preoperative (25.4±2.8) mmHg to postoperative (27.5±3.4) mmHg (P＜0.05),but it returned to the baseline of (25.4±2.8) mmHg within 15 minutes.Conclusion For the occlusion of LAA,the use of LACBES occluder carries higher instant success rate and lower residual shunt rate with less device-associated complications,although the left atrial systolic pressure has a transient rising immediately after the occlusion.Therefore,it is expected that LACBES will be able to be applied in clinical practice.