TCT 2022 | AMULET IDE: Events at 3 Years Using the AMULET Appendage Closure Device

The aim of this study was to assess the 3-year efficacy for the endpoints of the AMULET Occluder (Abbott) left atrial appendage closure device compared with the Watchman 2.5 device. The evaluated endpoints were analyzed according to a “per protocol” population, assessing a composite of stroke, systemic embolism, or cardiovascular death. The secondary endpoints were<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2022/09/21/tct-2022-amulet-ide-events-at-3-years-using-the-amulet-appendage-closure-device/" title="Read more" >...</a>

Should We Use Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion More Frequently? What Real-Life Data Are Available?

Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is an alternative to prevent atrial fibrillation stroke mainly used in patients at high risk for bleeding. One of the most widely used devices in randomized trials is the Watchman, which yielded promising results. However, its real-life performance had yet to be analyzed. Researchers conducted an analysis of the National<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2022/04/25/should-we-use-left-atrial-appendage-occlusion-more-frequently-what-real-life-data-are-available/" title="Read more" >...</a>

PRAGUE-17: Appendage Closure vs. Direct Anticoagulant Agents

After four years of follow-up, the PRAGUE-17 study showed that appendage closure is non-inferior to direct anticoagulant agents (non-warfarin oral anticoagulants, NOAC) to prevent major neurological events, cardiovascular events, and bleeding events in patients at high risk of atrial fibrillation. Appendage studies were compared with warfarin studies—it was necessary to update anticoagulant agents and reach<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2021/12/14/prague-17-appendage-closure-vs-direct-anticoagulant-agents/" title="Read more" >...</a>

AMULET vs WATCHMAN. Los dispositivos de cierre de orejuela cabeza a cabeza

AMULET vs. WATCHMAN: Appendage Closure Devices, Head to Head

This research was designed to compare the double closure system of the AMULET device with the WATCHMAN (an evidence-backed proven device). In that context, to prevent stroke in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation, the Amplatzer AMULET device was non-inferior in both safety and efficacy compared with the WATCHMAN. Atrial appendage occlusion in itself improved with<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2021/09/21/amulet-vs-watchman-appendage-closure-devices-head-to-head/" title="Read more" >...</a>

ACC 2021 | LAAOS III: Cierre de orejuela durante una cirugía vascular central

ACC 2021 | LAAOS III: Appendage Closure During Central Vascular Surgery

According to the LAAOS III study, presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 2021 Congress and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), patients with atrial fibrillation who undergo central vascular surgery for any other indication find benefit in appendage closure during said surgery. Using oral anticoagulation agents, patients undergoing appendage closure<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2021/05/18/acc-2021-laaos-iii-appendage-closure-during-central-vascular-surgery/" title="Read more" >...</a>

Permanent Carotid Coil Filters in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

This new strategy to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation is technically feasible and safe, even though long-term outcomes are yet to be seen and despite the evidence available, for instance, left atrial appendage closure devices. It is true that they could be used simultaneously, but its synergy and cost have<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/08/29/permanent-carotid-coil-filters-in-patients-with-atrial-fibrillation/" title="Read more" >...</a>

Resultados a 5 años del cierre de orejuela

5-Year Experience of Appendage Closure: More Evidence that Does Not Translate into Clinical Practice

The use of percutaneous left appendage closure increased 3.6-fold from 2011 to 2015, but this volume increase did not entail a significant uptrend of in-hospital events in this “real-world” population in Germany. However, can Germany be considered a real-world setting for Latin America? This question is warranted by the fact that there is no apparent<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2019/07/10/5-year-experience-of-appendage-closure-more-evidence-that-does-not-translate-into-clinical-practice/" title="Read more" >...</a>

Suspender la doble antiagregación genera más eventos trombóticos a 12 meses

New Anticoagulant Agents in Atrial Fibrillation in Latin American Patients, Specifically

There is limited information on the use of antithrombotic therapies and their outcomes in Latin American patients with atrial fibrillation. This stands true in almost all aspects of medicine: large multicenter randomized studies rarely include Latin American countries, and when they do, the population included is not representative of the overall population. The only exception<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2018/11/02/new-anticoagulant-agents-in-atrial-fibrillation-in-latin-american-patients-specifically/" title="Read more" >...</a>

Five-Year Outcomes for Appendage Closure

The PROTECT AF (WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage System for Embolic Protection in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation) trial demonstrated that left atrial appendage closure with the Watchman device was equivalent to warfarin for preventing stroke in atrial fibrillation, but it had a high rate of peri-procedural complications. The follow-up randomized trial was PREVAIL (Evaluation of the<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2018/02/09/five-year-outcomes-for-appendage-closure/" title="Read more" >...</a>

Closing off the Appendage While Performing Cardiac Surgery Results in a Reduction in Risk of Embolic Stroke

Closing off the left appendage as an add-on procedure while performing other cardiac surgery in patients with atrial fibrillation resulted in a reduction in risk of embolic stroke of nearly 40% over 12 months, according to an analysis carried out on the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database.   Patients who had surgical appendage occlusion had<a href="https://solaci.org/en/2017/04/11/closing-off-the-appendage-while-performing-cardiac-surgery-results-in-a-reduction-in-risk-of-embolic-stroke/" title="Read more" >...</a>