Mercy offering new procedure for patients with atrial fibrillati - ToledoNewsNow.com: News, Weather & Sports for Toledo, OH

A new procedure is now available for the first time in northwest Ohio.  The Mercy Heart and Vascular Center is now performing a catheter based procedure that uses sutures to tie off the left atrial appendage, which is a major cause of blood clots. Those clots can lead to a stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat.

"Most of the patients who need the procedure have had an irregular heartbeat for a long time or going in and out of the irregular heartbeat who requires blood thinner but their physician determine they're not a candidate for blood thinner," said Dr. Ameer Kabour.

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