What Spontaneous Echo Contrast Reveals After Left Atrial Appendage Closure | JACC Baran

Host Mitsuaki Sawano welcomes Dr. Sachiyo Ono, MD (Department of Cardiology, Kurashiki Central Hospital; Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation International Scholar) to discuss her JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology study from the OCEAN-LAAC registry. Focusing on patients undergoing Left Atrial Appendage Closure, this episode explores how Spontaneous Echo Contrast (SEC)—particularly when combined with persistent atrial fibrillation—relates to thromboembolic events and device-related thrombosis after LAAC. The conversation highlights practical implications for peri-procedural assessment, post-procedural risk stratification, and future considerations in antithrombotic management, while emphasizing how left atrial pathology may continue to matter even after appendage closure.