Research Studies

This is a study for patients that have a heart condition in which the upper chambers of your heart beat irregularly. This condition, also known as atrial fibrillation, can cause blood clots to form in an area of your heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA). Everyone has a LAA, which is like a pouch on the top of your heart, and it developed along with the other parts of the heart before birth. If a clot forms here, it can increase your chances of having a stroke or other related problems. Because you have atrial fibrillation, it is believed that if the LAA is closed, then blood clots might not be able to form in that area. The current standard of care to prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation is long-term oral anticoagulation (OAC) therapy (blood thinner medication) or, in appropriately selected patients, implant of the commercial WATCHMANTM device followed by short-term OAC therapy.