Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion: What the Practising Physician Should Know

Pierluigi Merella; Giuseppe Talanas; Giovanni Lorenzoni; Cristiana Denurra; Enrico Atzori; Gavino Casu

doi:10.15420/ecr.2023.18

Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion: What the Practising Physician Should Know

Eur Cardiol. 2023 Sep 28:18:e57. doi: 10.15420/ecr.2023.18. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Pierluigi Merella¹, Giuseppe Talanas¹, Giovanni Lorenzoni¹, Cristiana Denurra¹, Enrico Atzori¹, Gavino Casu¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Cardiology, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Sassari Sassari, Italy.

Abstract

Non-valvular AF is a common clinical condition associated with an increased risk of thromboembolic complications. As a consequence, oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) is the cornerstone of non-valvular AF management. Despite the well-established efficacy of OAT, many patients cannot receive this preventive therapy due to bleeding or a high risk of bleeding. The fact that more than 90% of thrombi are formed in the left atrial appendage has led to the development of alternative methods to reduce the embolic risk. Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is a non-pharmacological option for preventing cardioembolic events in patients with non-valvular AF with a contraindication to OAT. The demand for LAAO procedures is growing exponentially and clinicians should consider this alternative option when managing patients with a contraindication to OAT. This review summarises the current thinking about LAAO.

Keywords: AF; bleeding; high bleeding risk; left atrial appendage occlusion.

Publication types

Review