State of the Art in Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion

Abstract

Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) has become an important therapeutic target for stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Over the past 2 decades, several advancements in LAAO devices (percutaneous and surgical) have been made for stroke prevention and arrhythmia therapy. However, there are several unanswered questions regarding optimal patient selection, the preferred LAAO approach and device, the management of periprocedural and postprocedural complications, including pericardial effusion, device-related thrombus, and device leaks. This review focuses on fundamental foundational concepts in various aspects of the left atrial appendage and management strategies as they relate to current clinical needs.

Keywords: arrhythmias; device-related thrombosis; left atrial appendage occlusion; peridevice leak; stroke.