Key result
Left atrial appendage closure with the Watchman occluder is a good alternative to anticoagulant therapy for thromboembolic prophylaxis in select atrial fibrillation patients.
Why the study?
Does left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) with the Watchman occluder prevent thromboembolism compared to standard anticoagulant therapy in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation?
Does left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) with the Watchman occluder prevent thromboembolism compared to standard anticoagulant therapy in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation?
Left atrial appendage closure with the Watchman occluder is a viable alternative to oral anticoagulants for thromboembolic prophylaxis in specific patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia, and stroke is the major complication of AF. Over 90% of thrombi associated with atrial fibrillation are located in the left atrial appendage (LAA). Oral anticoagulant therapy represents the first line of therapy as thromboembolic prophylaxis in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. As an alternative to anticoagulant therapy, in certain groups of patients with AF closure of the LAA with the Watchman occluder (LAAC) is used in thromboembolic prophylaxis. The efficacy and safety of LAAC was investigated in three randomized clinical trials and compared with standard anticoagulant therapy (PROTECT-AF, PREVAIL, and PRAGUE). The results of the studies indicate that LAAC represents a good alternative to anticoagulant therapy in certain groups of patients, but that additional studies are necessary.
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Nedeljković et al. (2023) studied this question. Left atrial appendage closure with the Watchman occluder is a good alternative to anticoagulant therapy for thromboembolic prophylaxis in select atrial fibrillation patients.
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