The Case for Intracardiac Echo to Guide Left Atrial Appendage Closure

Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) has become a commonly used alternative to anticoagulation for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. There is a growing interest in adopting a minimally invasive procedural approach using intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) and moderate sedation. In this article, we review the rational for and the data supporting ICE-guided LAAC and discuss the pros and cons of this approach.