Key result
Emergency surgical retrieval manages asymptomatic Watchman left atrial appendage occluder dislocation.
Why the study?
Device dislocation after Watchman left atrial appendage closure is rare, and surgical treatment options and their effects on subsequent operations are unknown.
Case Report (n=2)
Emergency surgical removal is a viable management strategy for the rare complication of asymptomatic Watchman device dislocation.
Watchman dislocation may require emergency surgery despite being asymptomatic; this Level 5 report leaves open optimal surveillance strategies.
Device dislocation associated with left atrial appendage closure with a Watchman device is rare. Few cases of surgical treatment have been reported. Therefore, surgical options and the effects of the surgery on subsequent operations are unknown. This device was implanted in 2 patients in another hospital because of frequent brain and intestinal bleeding related to coagulation therapy for atrial fibrillation. However, routine echocardiography revealed dislocation from the left atrial appendage orifice in the early and late postoperative periods. Emergency surgical removal of the devices was performed. Perioperative device management and treatment strategies are discussed briefly.
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Grimmig et al. (2018) conducted a case report in Atrial fibrillation with frequent bleeding related to coagulation therapy (n=2). Watchman left atrial appendage occluder was evaluated on Device dislocation. Emergency surgical removal was performed in 2 patients who experienced asymptomatic dislocation of a Watchman left atrial appendage occluder in the early and late postoperative periods.
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