ArticleJTCVS techniques2026
Clip and cure: A minimally invasive strategy for left atrial appendage exclusion and left atrial cryoablation lesion set.
Article in JTCVS techniques, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objectives: Surgical exclusion of the left atrial appendage (LAA) combined with left atrial cryoablation is an important component of atrial fibrillation management during mitral valve surgery. A right minithoracotomy approach offers direct access to the transverse and oblique sinuses, enabling controlled LAA clip deployment and delivery of cryoablation lesions. Methods: A video-assisted right minithoracotomy was performed through the fourth intercostal space. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography guided LAA sizing with a 10-mm safety margin and confirmed adequate distance from the circumflex artery and warfarin ridge. After initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass, the LAA was mobilized and excluded using a preselected clip introduced through the transverse sinus under direct visualization, avoiding adjacent structures. A left atrial cryoablation lesion set was then performed, including 4 components: endocardial application toward the mitral annulus, epicardial convergence across the coronary sinus, and sequential roof and inferior pulmonary vein lines completing a box lesion pattern. Continuous probe contact with controlled -60 °C was used to achieve transmural lesions. Results: The minimally invasive approach provided excellent visualization of the transverse sinus, allowing precise LAA clip placement and secure appendage exclusion. The cryoablation sequence facilitated the creation of contiguous and transmural lesion lines, completing a comprehensive left atrial lesion set through a limited thoracotomy. Conclusions: A minimally invasive right minithoracotomy technique allows reliable LAA exclusion combined with left atrial cryoablation during mitral valve surgery. Direct visualization through the transverse sinus supports accurate clip deployment, whereas a structured cryoablation sequence enables consistent lesion formation for the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.