Long-term outcomes of left atrial appendage occlusion in high-risk atrial fibrillation patients: 4-year follow up data

Long-term follow-up data of left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are sparse. To address these data gaps, we analysed the 4-year outcomes of AF patients following LAA occlusion. The was a retrospective cohort study of high-risk patients with AF who underwent successful implantation of the Amulet device at our center between 2014 and 2017. Study endpoints were the rate of stroke, major bleeding and all-cause mortality. We included 71 patients (35.2% females) with a median age of 78 (IQR 73–82) years. Over a median follow-up period of 46 (IQR 19–56) months, the annual rate of ischemic stroke was 1.06 events/100 patient-years (95% CI 0–2.35), hemorrhagic stroke was 1.06 events/100 patient-years (95% CI 0–2.35) and major extracranial bleeding that required unplanned hospital admission was 1.84 events/100 patient-years (95% CI 0.25–3.43). A total of 28 (39.4%) patients died during this period with an annual mortality rate of 10.29 events/100 patient-years (95% CI 7.25–13.32). Our experience suggests that LAA occlusion using the Amulet device appears to be associated with a low risk of ischemic stroke in high-risk AF patients who are deemed unsuitable for oral anticoagulation; however, these patients have a high rate of mortality over the medium to long-term follow-up, and an ongoing significant risk of bleeding and thrombotic events.