什么是左心耳关闭术?
A left atrial appendage closure is a procedure your doctor may recommend if:
- 你有 atrial fibrillation (also known as AF or AFib) or
- you are not a good candidate for taking blood thinner medication long-term.
This procedure will reduce your risk for future strokes much like take blood thinners would. You may not even need to take blood thinners after undergoing a left atrial appendage closure.
心房颤动和左心房附件
Your left atrial appendage (LAA) is a small pouch on your heart’s left atrium, 血液通常流入和流出的地方. AFib is an irregular heartbeat that is caused by irregular electrical signals in your heart, 会导致LAA形成血栓. Blood clots can travel through your blood stream and cause a stroke. Blood thinners are typically our first course of treatment to prevent blood clots from forming. 然而, if long-term use of blood thinning medication is not a viable option for your health, 大发娱乐将通过手术关闭你的LAA.
左心耳闭合程序
Our doctors use two of the most common approaches to close your heart’s left atrial appendage — the Watchman device and AtriClip. We will discuss all of your options to find the best treatment for you and your health.
守望的过程
The Watchman device is an implant that we use to close your left atrial appendage (LAA). 大发娱乐用导管（薄导管）插入这个装置, flexible tube) instead of performing open heart surgery.
We will put you to sleep using general anesthesia. 一旦你睡着了, 大发娱乐将放置导尿管（细导管）, flexible tube) in a vein near your groin and guide it to the upper right chamber of your heart. 然后, we will make a small hole between your heart’s two upper chambers so the catheter can reach the left atrium.
The Watchman device will be pushed through the catheter into your left atrial appendage where it will self-expand into a parachute shape with a cap. 手术后, your heart tissue will gradually grow over the device to seal your LAA and prevent the release of blood clots.
AtriClip设备
The AtriClip is a device that closes around the outside of your left atrial appendage to prevent blood flow there. We will need to perform open-heart surgery to insert the AtriClip. 如果你是合适的候选人，大发娱乐可以使用 机器人仪器来完成这个过程, which can be beneficial in many ways such as less pain, 更快的恢复时间, 住院时间也更短.
We will put you to sleep under general anesthesia much like we do for the Watchman procedure. 大发娱乐将做一个小的, one-centimeter incision (cut) on the left side of your chest and use a camera and port (a pouch attached to a catheter to reduce the wear and tear on your veins) to access the left atrial appendage. We will position the AtriClip around the outside of your heart’s left atrial appendage and then close it to shut off blood flow to the area. Your incision will be sewn shut with stitches, which we will remove at a later date.
大发娱乐将使用经食管 超声心动图 (TEE) to ensure that your left atrial appendage is completely closed. 该成像检查使用内窥镜（长镜）, thin tube) to guide the ultrasound transducer down your throat to see images of the heart without your ribs or lungs getting in the way. After your surgery is complete, we will insert a chest tube to drain any excess fluid. You will be discharged from the hospital as early as the next day.
认识大发娱乐的心脏专家
左心耳恢复时间
The recovery process for left atrial appendage closures differs from patient to patient and depends on the type of procedure 你有. Most patients generally recover quicker from the Watchman procedure since the AtriClip insertion requires open-heart surgery. Your doctor will discuss recovery and surgery aftercare in detail with you.
恢复过程
- After this procedure, you will stay overnight in the hospital. If you are recovering well, we will send you home and schedule you for a follow-up appointment.
- With your doctor’s approval, you should be able to resume most normal activities within a week.
- We will perform a transesophageal 超声心动图 (TEE) on you within 45 days after the procedure. This imaging is used to evaluate any blood flow leaks around the device as well as possible blood clots. If none of these exist, we will take you off of any blood thinning medication.
- 一个普通的 超声心动图 (a heart ultrasound) will be performed 60 days after surgery.
- Once we see that your LAA has completely closed, we will start scheduling you for follow-up appointments once a year.
AtriClip设备恢复
- You will stay in the hospital for about 24 to 48 hours after surgery.
- Your doctor and nurses will give you specific instructions on incision (cut) care, 药物, 还有其他建议.
- Within two weeks of surgery, you will have a follow-up appointment to remove your stitches. 大发娱乐也可以安排你开始 心脏康复 支持你的康复，如果需要的话.
- You should be able to resume most of your normal activities about a week after surgery.
下一个步骤
You will need a referral from a primary care physician, 心脏病专家, or other healthcare provider to schedule your initial consultation with one of our specialists for a left atrial appendage closure. Please call our structural heart team at 801-213-5922 to set up your first appointment.