Woodland Heights Offers Additional Innovative Treatment Option for Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
3/21/2022
Lufkin Texas (March 21, 2022) –The heart team at Woodland Heights Medical Center today announced that they have successfully performed their first procedure using a minimally invasive therapy to treat people in the U.S. with atrial fibrillation (AFib) who are at risk of ischemic stroke. This latest advancement completely and immediately seals the LAA, eliminating the need for blood-thinning medication following the procedure.
“This treatment option is the only minimally invasive option to offer immediate closure of the left atrial appendage so blood-thinning medication isn’t needed following implantation,” states Dr. Vivek Mangla, M.D., electrophysiologist/cardiologist with ACE Cardiology. “Getting our patients off blood thinner sooner gets them back to a normal life quickly and that is our goal.”
AFib occurs when the upper chambers of the heart (atria) beat out of coordination with the lower chambers (ventricles) and contract rapidly and irregularly. In some people with AFib, the LAA – a small, naturally occurring pocket connected to the upper left chamber of the heart – can allow blood to pool and increase the likelihood of a clot formation, which can travel to the brain and cause a stroke. For patients with AFib who are unable to take blood thinners long-term, physicians may perform procedures to prevent blood clots from leaving the LAA to reduce the risk of stroke.
Pictured with Vivek Mangla, M.D., EP cardiologist, is the Woodland Heights Cath Lab team.
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