Reader's Comments: Trends in the Utilization of Left Atrial Appendage Exclusion in the United States

Stroke prevention remains a cornerstone in the management of patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF).1 Oral anticoagulation is the main method of stroke prevention in NVAF worldwide. However,>50% of high-risk NVAF patients are not maintained on oral anticoagulation due to comorbidities, frailty, bleeding complications, or noncompliance.2 In 1996, Blackshear proposed left atrial appendage exclusion (LAAE) as an alternative stroke prevention strategy in NVAF.3 Because no randomized data were available to support the routine use of LAAE, its utilization remained initially limited to selected patients undergoing a concomitant cardiac surgery.
Source: The American Journal of Cardiology - Category: Cardiology Authors: Source Type: research