Cardiac Surgeons and the Management of Stroke

Atrial fibrillation causes 15% of strokes in the West and the UK.  There is evidence to suggest occlusion of the left atrial appendage percutaneously with a device called the Watchman is as effective as warfarin in decreasing the incidence of stroke.
Does the same apply to exclusion of the appendage by surgical/open means? Surgical exclusion can be done inexpensively using prolene sutures or expensively using devices such as the Atriclip or Tigerpaw. Such exclusion is usually performed concomitantly with other cardiac surgical procedures such as CABG (coronary artery bypass grafting) or mitral valve surgery.  It is a procedure that is essentially risk free and one that may have life changing benefits for the patients. One wonders how often the appendage is closed off in patients with AF undergoing cardiac surgical procedures?
The fact that percutaneous closure of the appendage is effective at decreasing stroke does not necessarily mean that surgical closure will have the same effect - after all surgery itself has procoagulant effects that may have a negative influence. Trial evidence is needed and if surgical closure is effective at decreasing the incidence of stroke, than this procedure, concomitant or even standalone may very well become more common.

PEOPLE RESEARCH A CAR MORE THAN THEIR CARDIAC SURGEON

Is this video, from Consumer Reports in the USA, a vision of the future for the UK? I suppose it should be - you just cannot argue against it. The Bristol Heart Surgery scandal and the endeavours of Sarah Boseley at the Guardian led to the eventual publication of individual surgeons' results. Today however, 6 years after the first publication of institutional results and the efforts of the then President of the Society of CT surgeons and the current medical director of the NHS, Sir Bruce Keogh, we are no further forward.

DEADLY PORCELAIN

The presence of calcium in the ascending aorta is known to be a predisposing factor for stroke after a cardiac surgical operation. Cardiac surgeons everywhere know that heart (excuse the pun!) sinking feeling when after