Brazilian Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery (Dec 2020)

Left Atrial Appendage Thrombosis and Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: combined Treatment with a Totally Thoracoscopic Approach

  • Igor Vendramin,
  • Andrea Lechiancole,
  • Luca Rebellato,
  • Ermanno Dametto,
  • Uberto Bortolotti,
  • Ugolino Livi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.21470/1678-9741-2020-0028
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 35, no. 6
pp. 999 – 1002

Abstract

Read online Read online

Abstract Minimally invasive surgical ablation is generally contraindicated in patients with atrial fibrillation and thrombosis of the left atrial appendage. We have treated three of these patients using an innovative technique based on a bilateral video-thoracoscopic approach, performing a continuous encircling lesion at the pulmonary veins outflow with radio-frequency ablation, simultaneously excluding the left atrial appendage. The postoperative course was uneventful, without neurologic events and all patients maintained a stable sinus rhythm at 1-year follow-up. This procedure represents a new mini-invasive method to treat persistent atrial fibrillation when partial thrombosis of the left atrial appendage contraindicates other ablation techniques.

Keywords