Atrial Fibrillation: Obviating the Need for Anticoagulants With Percutaneous Closure of Left Atrial Appendage/ PLAATO & PROTECT-AF Trials

Authors

  • Andreas Synetos Ippokratio University Hospital, Athens, Greece

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2015/hc.v5i1%20Sup.361

Abstract

Left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion is a potential alternative to warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation who have contraindications to anticoagulation. Currently, there are two devices specifically designed for percutaneous LAA occlusion: the Percutaneous LAA Transcatheter Occlusion (PLAATO System, ev3 Inc., Plymouth, Minnesota) and the WATCHMAN LAA system (Atritech Inc., Plymouth, Minnesota). Despite early interesting and promising data from the PLAATO device, this device was withdrawn by the manufacturer in 2006. Early data on the WATCHMAN system were reported in 2007, and this device is the focus of the recently published PROTECT-AF (WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage System for Embolic Protection in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) study. According to the results of the study, the efficacy of percutaneous closure of the LAA with this device was non-inferior to that of warfarin therapy, suggesting that closure of the LAA might provide an alternative strategy to chronic warfarin therapy for stroke prophylaxis in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Author Biography

Andreas Synetos, Ippokratio University Hospital, Athens, Greece

Specialty: Cardiology

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Issue

Vol. 5 No. 1 Sup (2010)

Section

Athens Cardiology Update 2010

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