Left Atrial Appendix Occulsion in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Undergong Transcatheter Aortic Valve Intervention
This randomized pilot study evaluated whether adding left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) to transcatheter aortic valve intervention (TAVI) in patients with atrial fibrillation reduces bleeding and thromboembolic risk compared with standard medical therapy. Among 81 high-risk patients, the composite outcome of cerebrovascular events, major bleeding, peripheral embolism, or cardiovascular death at one year was similar between the TAVI + LAAO and TAVI + standard therapy groups, with no significant differences in bleeding or cerebrovascular events. Overall, the findings suggest that a combined TAVI and LAAO strategy with early discontinuation of oral anticoagulation is feasible and shows comparable short-term outcomes to standard care, supporting further investigation in larger trials.
Florian A Wenzl