| pubmed-article:16996847 | pubmed:abstractText | The WATCHMAN left atrial appendage occluder device (Atritech, Inc, Minneapolis, MN) is currently being tested in a Food and Drug Administration-approved clinical trial, the PROTECT AF trial, for patients who are diagnosed with paroxysmal, persistent, or permanent nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. However, rigorous screening and the study design have resulted in the exclusion of a large number of patients. Hence, the purpose of this study was to assess the potential utility of this device among those who were eligible but excluded for trial criteria and the reasons for exclusion. | lld:pubmed |
