Key result
Left atrial appendage closure provides a viable alternative for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation who have contraindications to long-term oral anticoagulation.
Why the study?
Does left atrial appendage closure prevent stroke and systemic thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation?
Does left atrial appendage closure prevent stroke and systemic thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation?
Left atrial appendage closure is a viable and evolving non-pharmacological strategy for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation, particularly those with contraindications to oral anticoagulation.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports LAA closure in anticoagulation-contraindicated AF; leaves open need for randomized confirmation.
Whereas the left atrial appendage plays a rather minor role under physiological circumstances, it gains an importance in patients with atrial fibrillation. Compelling evidence has revealed that the left atrial appendage is implicated as the source of thrombus in the vast majority of strokes in atrial fibrillation. Oral anticoagulation remains the standard of care for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation; nevertheless, this treatment has several limitations and is often contraindicated, particularly in the elderly population in whom the risk of stroke is high. Therefore, occluding the left atrial appendage is a logical approach to prevent thrombus formation and subsequent cardioembolic events in these patients. We present a review of clinical outcomes of patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing left atrial appendage closure and the challenges faced in this field.
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Suradi et al. (2016) conducted a review in Atrial fibrillation. Left atrial appendage closure vs. Oral anticoagulation was evaluated. Left atrial appendage closure provides a viable alternative for stroke prevention in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation who have contraindications to long-term oral anticoagulation.
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