Exclusion of the left atrial appendage (LAA) may significantly reduce the incidence of stroke associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), since this is the main thrombus source. LAA closure is becoming a therapeutic target for preventing AF-related stroke, attracting much interest in recent years. Different devices are available to provide LAA exclusion during cardiac surgery. We describe herein our experience with the recently introduced TigerPaw II system for LAA exclusion, and report a high prevalence of device malfunction. Design improvements may address these issues and increase safety for new technological devices designed for surgical LAA closure.
Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Left atrial appendage; Stroke; Surgical occlusion.
© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.