Patent ID: 7846168

Claim:
A method for closing a left atrial appendage of a patient's heart, comprising: advancing a guide member transeptally into the left atrial appendage, wherein the guide member comprises an expandable element; advancing a ligating assembly from the outside of a patient's heart to a position adjacent to the left atrial appendage, wherein the ligating assembly comprises a support and a loop releasably attached to the support; advancing the ligating assembly over an exterior surface of the left atrial appendage and over the expandable element so that the loop encircles the base of the left atrial appendage; expanding the expandable element within the left atrial appendage; closing the left atrial appendage with the ligating assembly; confirming that the loop encircles the base of the left atrial appendage using fluoroscopy, echocardiographic guidance, or a combination thereof, prior to releasing the loop from the support; releasing the loop from the support; contracting and withdrawing the expandable element from the left atrial appendage; and re-tightening the loop.