Left Atrial Appendage Closure Program

Patients with an irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation (AF) are at higher risk of stroke, because blood clots can form in the heart and travel to the brain. 90% of blood clots come from a small area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA). Medications that keep blood from clotting, called blood thinners or anticoagulants, prevent stroke in AF patients by keeping the LAA clear of clots.

However, some patients cannot take long-term blood thinners, usually due to risk of bleeding. There is now an alternative to anticoagulants: the Watchman device. This looks like an umbrella, about 1 inch in diameter, and blocks the LAA to prevent strokes without long-term use of blood thinners. It is placed in the heart through a catheter that is inserted into a vein in the leg, in a procedure that takes about 1 hour. Most patients go home the next day, and over 90% stop taking blood thinners 6 weeks after the Watchman device is implanted. While there are risks associated with this procedure, once it is finished most patients avoid the bleeding risk of permanently taking anticoagulants.

For more Information, please contact:

Michael S. Lee, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine

UCLA Interventional Cardiology Program
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
100 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite 690
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Tel: (310) 825-9011
Fax: (310) 825-9012

Eric Buch, MD FHRS FACC
Associate Professor of Medicine
Director, Specialized Program for Atrial Fibrillation

UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
100 UCLA Medical Plaza, Suite 690
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Tel: (310) 206-2235