New Treatment for Atrial Fibrillation Reduces Stroke Risk

Those at risk for stroke due to atrial fibrillation (A-Fib) may have another treatment option. Doctors at the Stony Brook Heart Institute Electrophysiology Lab are using a new nonsurgical technique called the LARIAT Suture Delivery Device to treat patients with A-Fib who cannot tolerate blood thinning medication, such as Coumadin. For individuals who cannot tolerate blood thinners due to prior bleeding or those who are at a high risk for bleeding, the LARIAT procedure can safely reduce the risk of stroke without any further bleeding risk.
The LARIAT procedure is a nonsurgical, minimally-invasive technique that uses sutures to tie off the left atrial appendage of the heart, the area of the heart that is the primary source of blood clots leading to stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. To learn more about the procedure, click here.