LAA closure is done on patients that medication has not had the desired outcome or you are unable to take medication. The procedure is used to close the left atrial appendage. This procedure is used to reduce the risk of thromboembolism from the left atrial appendage in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who are not good candidates for long-term anti-coagulation.
A catheter will be inserted through the bloodstream until it reaches the upper right chamber of the heart. The catheter is usually inserted through a vein in the leg. The physician makes a small hole through the wall between the two upper chambers of the heart so that the catheter reaches the left atrium. He devise will be sent through the catheter to the left atrial appendage, where it opens up like an umbrella and is permanently implanted. Once the device is in place, a thin layer of tissue grows over it in about 45 days. This keeps blood clots in the left atrial appendage from entering the bloodstream.