The electrophysiology team in the Joel E. Smilow Heart Institute at Bridgeport Hospital performed its first so-called lariat procedure Nov. 25.
The procedure is designed to prevent strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation, or AFib. Described as minimally invasive, it involves closing off the left atrial appendage of the heart with a lasso suture. The first lasso-suture AFib patient was a 79-year-old woman from Milford who was discharged two days after the procedure.
“Patients with AFib are five times more likely to suffer a stroke due to blood clots in the left atrial appendage,” said Dr. Murali Chiravuri, who performed the hospital”™s first lariat procedure with the assistance of fellow cardiac electrophysiologist Robert Winslow.
The left atrial appendage is a small pouch on the left atrium of the heart. During AFib, the irregular rhythm of the heart causes blood to pool in the appendage, which allows clots to form, the hospital said in a statement. It is responsible for approximately 95 percent of the clots that cause strokes in patients with AFib.
“Patients with AFib are often prescribed blood-thinning medication to reduce the likelihood of clots forming,” Winslow said. “For those unable to tolerate blood thinners, the lariat procedure offers a highly effective alternate treatment.”
During the lariat procedure, cardiologists use a delivery device to guide a small, pre-tied lasso suture to trouble area, the hospital said. The suture is tightened around the base of the left atrial appendage, permanently sealing it off from the rest of the heart. Once it is sealed, blood continues to flow normally to the rest of the heart.
