Cleveland Clinic heart surgeon Marc Gillinov, MD, hopes to put a stop to strokes, especially those starting in a part of the heart we could live without. The left atrial appendage, a small flap of tissue in the left atrium that is unnecessary in the healthy functioning of the heart, is only given a thought when theres a problem and it must be treated. In patients with atrial fibrillation-in which the hearts upper two chambers quiver instead of beat effectively, so not all of the blood is pumped out of the chambers-blood flow from the left atrial appendage is usually poor and clots can easily form.
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