On Dec. 8, MountainView Hospital in Las Vegas became the first in the state, and one of few in the country, to implant a permanent left atrial appendage closure device on a patient with atrial fibrillation, a condition that causes irregular heartbeat and elevates stroke risk.
The novel implant is the only FDA-approved device to reduce stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, or non-valvular atrial fibrillation.
The device offers non-valvular AF patients an alternative to lifelong use of warfarin, a standard-of-care blood thinner linked to bleeding complications. Currently, half of AF patients who are eligible for warfarin are untreated due to tolerance and adherence issues.
"The device is a novel alternative for patients with non-valvular Afib at risk for a stroke, especially those with a compelling reason not to be on blood thinners," said Alfred Danielian, MD, medical director of echocardiography and director of sports cardiology at Las Vegas Heart Associates, who helped perform the procedure.
The device works by closing off the left atrial appendage to keep out blood clots that could eventually cause a stroke. Over time, this could reduce stroke risk and allow patients to stop taking warfarin.