The Cardiac Partners at Cooper and Inspira team recently became the first in the Northeast Region to implant Abbott’s Amplatzer Amulet left atrial appendage (LAA) occluder, a new device recently approved by the FDA to treat patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) who are also at risk of ischemic stroke.
George E. Mark, MD, FACC, successfully implanted the Amulet device in a male patient in October as part of a multidisciplinary team led by Sajjad A. Sabir, MD, Director of the Structural Heart Disease Program at Cooper and member provider with Cardiac Partners at Cooper and Inspira.
“Atrial fibrillation (AFib ) occurs when the upper chambers of the heart (atria) beat out of coordination with the lower chambers (ventricles) and contract rapidly and irregularly,” Dr. Sabir explained. “In some patients with AFib, the left atrial appendage – 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.”
According to the American Heart Association, at least 2.7 million Americans are living with AFib. People with atrial fibrillation are five to seven times more likely to have a stroke than the general population. For patients with AFib who are unable to take blood thinners long-term, the Amulet device prevents blood clots from leaving the left atrial appendage and reduces the risk of stroke.
“Cooper has had access to this technology because our team was part of the clinical trial that led to its approval,” says Phillip A. Koren, MD, FACC, FSCAI, Medical Director of the Cooper Heart Institute and member provider of Cardiac Partners at Cooper and Inspira. “We are proud to participate in research that ultimately leads to lifesaving care in the community.”