학술논문

Left atrial appendage occlusion after thromboembolic events or left atrial appendage sludge during anticoagulation therapy: Is two better than one? Real‐world experience from a tertiary care hospital
Document Type
article
Source
Journal of Arrhythmia, Vol 39, Iss 3, Pp 395-404 (2023)
Subject
antithrombotic therapy
ischemic embolic events
left atrial appendage
left atrial appendage sludge
Diseases of the circulatory (Cardiovascular) system
RC666-701
Language
English
ISSN
1883-2148
1880-4276
Abstract
Abstract Background The role of left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) for atrial fibrillation patients that during oral anticoagulant therapy (OAC) suffer from ischemic events or present LAA sludge, and the best postinterventional anticoagulant regimen, need to be defined. We present our experience with a hybrid approach of LAAO+ lifelong OAC therapy in this cohort of patients. Methods Out of 425 patients treated with LAAO, 102 underwent LAAO because, despite OAC, suffered from ischemic events or presented with LAA sludge. Patients without high bleeding risk were discharged with the aim of maintaining lifelong OAC. This cohort was then matched to a population who underwent LAAO in primary ischemic events prevention. The primary endpoint was the composite of all‐cause death and major adverse cardiovascular events consisting of ischemic stroke, systemic embolism (SE), and major bleeding. Results Procedural success was 98%, and 70% of patients were discharged with anticoagulant therapy. After a median follow‐up of 47.2 months, the primary endpoint occurred in 27 patients (26%). At multivariate analyses, coronary artery disease (OR 5.1, CI 1.89–14.27, p = .003) and OAC at discharge (OR 0.29, CI 0.11–0.80, p = .017) were associated with the primary endpoint. After propensity score matching, no significant difference was found in the survival free from the primary endpoint according to the indication for LAAO (p = .19). Conclusions In this high‐ischemic risk cohort, LAAO + OAC seem a long‐term safe and effective therapeutical approach, with no difference in the survival free from the primary endpoint according to the indication for LAAO in a matched cohort.