Medical City McKinney offers new procedure to reduce stroke risk

McKinney patients with atrial fibrillation who cannot safely stay on blood thinners now have another option closer to home. Medical City McKinney has begun offering Left Atrial Appendage Closure, a catheter-based procedure designed to lower stroke risk by closing off the part of the heart where clots can form.

The procedure matters because atrial fibrillation is not a minor rhythm issue. The American College of Cardiology says it carries a four- to five-fold higher risk of ischemic stroke and is tied to about 25% of the 700,000 cerebrovascular accidents that occur in the United States each year. For patients who face bleeding concerns, medication side effects or other reasons they cannot remain on long-term anticoagulation, the new approach can offer stroke protection without the same dependence on daily blood thinners.

Left atrial appendage occlusion works by blocking the opening of the left atrial appendage, the pouch in the left atrium where blood can pool and clots can form, according to the American Heart Association. The ACC says percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion is reasonable for patients with a CHA2DS2-VASc score of 2 or higher who have a contraindication to long-term oral anticoagulation. In plain terms, it is aimed at patients whose stroke risk is high enough to need protection, but whose bleeding risk or other medical issues make standard medication difficult.

The procedure can also be paired with atrial fibrillation ablation, giving some patients two treatments in one setting. That could mean fewer separate procedures and less time spent navigating a complex heart condition. The ACC’s coverage of the OPTION trial in November 2024 found that left atrial appendage closure in patients undergoing AF ablation led to significantly less bleeding than oral anticoagulation. But the evidence is still evolving. In March 2026, the ACC said the CLOSURE-AF trial found catheter-based closure was not noninferior to physician-directed best medical care on the trial’s main composite endpoint, underscoring that this is a targeted option, not a universal replacement for medication.

Medical City McKinney completed its first Left Atrial Appendage Closure procedure as part of a broader expansion in specialty care. The hospital is a Level II Trauma Center with more than 850 physicians, and a 2025 report said its 311-bed campus had more than $190 million in projects planned and underway. Its cardiology team already treats many forms of atrial fibrillation and arrhythmias, making the new procedure another step in bringing advanced heart care to Collin County instead of sending patients elsewhere in North Texas.