Coliseum Medical Centers has expanded their heart program to include a new procedure, Left Atrial Appendage Closure, that can help reduce the risk of stroke associated with a condition called atrial fibrillation, or AFib as it is commonly called.  The procedure involves placing a device into the heart in a one-time minimally invasive procedure. This device is the only FDA-approved implant proven to reduce stroke risk in people with AFib that is not caused by a heart valve problem.
 
AFib is one of the most common forms of heart disease and can be described as an abnormal heart rhythm.  In a person with AFib, the upper chamber of the heart is beating very fast, called arrhythmia, which can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications.  AFib affects the heart’s ability to pump blood normally which can cause blood to gather in an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage, or LAA. There, blood cells can stick together and form a clot. When a blood clot escapes from the LAA and travels to another part of the body, it can cut off the blood supply to the brain, causing a stroke. It is estimated that between 2.7 million and 6.1 million people in the United States are living with AFib, according the Centers for Disease Control. The average person with atrial fibrillation is four to five times more likely to suffer a stroke than someone with a regular heartbeat.
 
Dr. Jonathan Hoffman, an electrophysiologist on medical staff at Coliseum Medical Centers, says that reducing the overall risk for stroke is the most important advantage to this new procedure. He said, “Because one of the biggest concerns with AFib is an increased stroke risk, a doctor will often prescribe blood thinners to reduce the number of clots that form as a result of the arrhythmia.  For the many AFib patients who are unable to take blood thinners, this new procedure can be lifesaving! It can help catch any clots that can form in this area of the heart before they can travel to the brain, which could ultimately cause a stroke.”