Abbott has announced US availability of its Amplatzer steerable delivery sheath, which is used with the company’s Amplatzer Amulet left atrial appendage (LAA) occluder to treat people with atrial fibrillation (AFib) who are at risk of ischaemic stroke.
For patients with AF who are unable to take blood-thinning medication long term, physicians may opt to seal off the LAA entirely and reduce the risk of stroke using an occluder.
“Since its FDA [US Food and Drug Administration] clearance last year, doctors have been utilising Abbott’s Amulet device to help patients reduce their risk of stroke from atrial fibrillation without the need for blood-thinning medication,” said Vivek Y Reddy (Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, USA) who completed the first US procedure with the delivery system.
“With the Amplatzer Steerable Delivery Sheath, US physicians now have more flexibility and precise placement when implanting the Amulet device, in simple and complex anatomies. It allows doctors to close left atrial appendages in challenging cases, when otherwise it might not be possible.”
