In the research conducted by Dr. Enomoto and others at Niigata University, they evaluated blood flow stagnation in the enlarged left atrium (LA) and reported whether left atrial plication (LAP) can alleviate this stagnation.

They performed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis using pre- and post-operative CT images and 4D Flow MRI in five patients with chronic atrial fibrillation.

CFD simulation demonstrated that LAP for the enlarged LA improves blood flow stagnation more effectively than virtual left atrial appendage resection (LAAR) alone.

Takashi Enomoto, Takehito Mishima & Masanori Tsuchida , "Blood flow analysis with computational fluid dynamics in the left atrium after left atrial plication: a prospective study", General Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Volume 72, pages 209-215, (2024) (2024) https://doi.org/10.1007/s11748-023-01963-2.