The Left Atrial Appendage Closure by Surgery and the Incidence of Stroke in Patients Undergoing Open-heart Surgery.

Left Atrial Appendage Thrombosis

surgical closure of the left atrial appendage., stroke, Post operative atrial fibrillation.

This study aims to assess the efficacy and safety of prophylactic surgical closure of the left atrial appendage for stroke and cardiovascular death prevention in patients undergoing open heart surgery, regardless of their preoperative AF status and stroke risk.

Cerebrovascular complications following cardiac surgical procedures are a significant source of morbidity and mortality. The etiology of postoperative stroke is multifactorial and may include carotid artery stenosis, hypotension, cardiac arrhythmia, aortic atherosclerosis, and transient hypercoagulable state. Most strokes complicating cardiac surgery occur in patients without significant carotid disease and are acquired after the patient awakens neurologically intact. The high incidence of postoperative AF in these patients suggests a possible embolic cause for some strokes. As such, some postoperative strokes may be preventable. Previous studies report incident AF in 10 to 65% of patients after open heart surgery, with the highest incidences after a combination of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) and valve surgery. In patients with non-operative AF, the risk of ischemic stroke is markedly reduced by adequate OAC. However, the management of postoperative AF is still a challenge and is, by some, regarded as a transient phenomenon not requiring intervention. The risk of bleeding poses a significant limitation to the use of OAC, which consequently increases focus on left atrial appendage (LAA) closure, as the LAA is a predilection site for thrombus formation during AF. Based on previous studies, ≥90% of AF-related left atrial thrombi are located in the left atrial appendage (LAA), and therefore, LAA occlusion is a tempting method for AF-related stroke prevention. Current recommendations regarding surgical left atrial appendage (LAA) closure to prevent thromboembolisms lack high-level evidence.

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