Left atrial appendage thrombus in an elderly patient with atrial fibrillation during non-cardiac surgery- a case report-

BACKGROUND: Perioperative newly developed left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus is a rare but extremely challenging event for anesthesia management. It’s important to identify and diagnose thrombosis in high-risk populations promptly. CASE PRESENTATION: In the case of an elderly patient with atrial fibrillation undergoing non-cardiac surgery, we recorded the findings before and after thrombosis during the operation using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Through timely detection of the thrombus and proactive management, a satisfactory therapeutic effect was ultimately achieved. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should be aware of the potential risk of LAA clot formation during surgery, even if it was not detected preoperatively. And TEE is valuable for monitoring newly developed perioperative thrombosis. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12871-023-02286-8.