[Surgical closure of the left atrial appendage in patients with atrial fibrillation. Indications, techniques and results]

Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion on a Beating Heart during Minimally Invasive Valve Surgery Using an Aortic Endoclamp: A Case Report

Concomitant LAA occlusion has been shown to be an effective and safe treatment for patients with atrial fibrillation during cardiac surgery to prevent embolic stroke. Minimally invasive procedures are challenging due to restricted access to and visibility of the surgical site. Also, aortic endoclamping has been developed as an alternative surgical approach to exoclamping. The aim of this article is to demonstrate the method of beating heart LAA occlusion with the Atriclip® (AtriCure, Mason, OH, USA) device during minimally invasive mitral valve surgery while using the endoclamping alternative for aortic cross-clamping.

Left atrial appendage exclusion in atrial fibrillation

Although oral anticoagulants (OACs) are first-line therapy for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), some patients cannot be treated with OACs due to absolute or relative contraindications. Left atrial appendage (LAA) exclusion techniques have been developed over the years as a therapeutic alternative for stroke prevention. In this paper, we review the evolution of surgical techniques, employed as an adjunct to cardiac surgery or as a stand-alone procedure, as well as the recently introduced and widely utilized percutaneous LAA occlusion techniques. Until recently, data on surgical LAAO were limited and based on non-randomized studies. We focus on recently published randomized data which strongly support an add-on surgical LAAO in eligible patients during cardiac surgery and could potentially change current practice guidelines. In recent years, the trans-catheter techniques for LAA occlusion have emerged as another, less invasive alternative for patients who cannot tolerate oral anticoagulation. We review the growing body of evidence from prospective studies and registries, focusing on the two systems which are in widespread clinical use nowadays: the Watchman and Amulet type devices. These data show favorable results for both Watchman and Amulet devices, setting them as an important tool in our arsenal for stroke reduction in AF patients, especially in those who have contraindications for OACs. A better understanding of the different therapeutic alternatives, their specific benefits, and downfalls in different patient populations can guide us in tailoring the optimal therapeutic approach for stroke reduction in our AF patients.

Left atrial appendage exclusion-Where do we stand?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is consider to be the most common cardiac arrhythmia with an increasingly prevalence. It is postulated that the source of thromboembolism in 90% of patients with non-valvular AF arises from the left atrial appendage (LAA). Stroke is the most feared and life threatening consequence of thromboembolism. Oral anticoagulation (OAC) with vitamin-K-antagonists is the standard medical therapy for stroke prevention in patients with AF. Unfortunately, chronic therapy with vitamin-K-antagonists is contraindicated in 14% to 44% of patients with AF who are at risk for stroke, and its benefits are limited by underutilization, narrow therapeutic window and increased risk for bleeding, making it often undesired. Therefore, mechanical LAA exclusion is a means of preventing thrombus formation in the appendage and subsequent thromboembolic events in these patients. The LAA can be excluded from the systemic circulation via surgical, percutaneous, or thoracoscopic approaches. Several studies of percutaneous transcatheter delivery of dedicated LAA exclusion devices, such as the percutaneous left atrial appendage transcatheter occlusion (PLAATO) device, Watchman device and the Amplatzer cardiac plug, have shown encouraging results as an alternative to vitamin-K-antagonists therapy for selected patients, good feasibility and efficacy, with a high rate of successful implantation. We discuss the current evidence for LAA exclusion in patients and review their results.