Surgical left atrial appendage occlusion with concomitant cardiac surgical procedures: exacerbating heart failure or preventing stroke

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The left atrial appendage (LAA) is a common source of thromboembolic stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. Current guidelines recommend consideration of surgical LAA occlusion concomitant with other cardiac surgical procedures based mostly on observational data and a few small trials. Recently published results of several large retrospective studies and one prospective trial are reviewed herein. RECENT FINDINGS: Large retrospective studies using quality and administrative databases show mixed results with regard to efficacy of surgical LAA occlusion in preventing stroke, although most showed stroke reduction in patients with a history of atrial fibrillation (AF). Safety concerns have been raised based on nonrandomized data suggesting increased complications. A recent large, multicenter international randomized study with 3-year follow-up demonstrated significant reduction in stroke following LAA occlusion with no differences in death or heart failure exacerbations. SUMMARY: Most patients with AF undergoing another cardiac surgical procedure should be considered for concomitant LAA occlusion as part of a heart team discussion. The choice of surgical closure technique is critical. There is insufficient data to recommend LAA occlusion as an alternative to anticoagulation.