RICHMOND, Va. – People living with atrial fibrillation (AFib), the most common heart rhythm disorder, have a higher risk of stroke. An estimated 10% to 20% of all strokes are caused by it. Now, cardiologists at the VCU Pauley Heart Center are working to lessen that statistic by being the first in Virginia to perform a novel clinical treatment.
Pauley doctors recently implanted a device which closes off a small portion of the upper left chamber of the heart where blood can pool and create clots. This treatment, the CLAAS AcuFORM Implant (2nd generation), is being studied in a nationwide clinical trial to determine whether it can lower the risk of stroke in people who have AFib and is designed specifically for patients for whom blood thinners are not an option.
“Blood thinners can help prevent strokes in people living with AFib, but some patients either can’t or don’t want to take these medications,” said Greg Hundley, M.D., director of VCU Health Pauley Heart Center. “For some patients, closing off the left atrial appendage, a procedure known as left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO), is an alternative approach to help reduce stroke risk.”…