Favorable neurological outcome after ischemic cerebrovascular events in patients treated with percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion compared with warfarin

Objectives: This study sought to investigate neurological disability after ischemic cerebrovascular events in patients treated with left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion compared with those on warfarin. Background: Prior studies demonstrated that cerebrovascular events after LAA occlusion in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) is largely nondisabling. Methods: From the 1,189 patients in the Korean LAA Occlusion and European Amplatzer Cardiac Plug Multi-Center Registry, 24 patients who experienced ischemic cerebrovascular events after LAA occlusion were enrolled. The neurological outcomes were compared with those in 68 patients who experienced an ischemic cerebrovascular event while on warfarin (Yonsei Stroke Registry). A modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 3–6 categorized the cerebrovascular event as disabling. The mRS at discharge and at 3 and 12 months postcerebrovascular event in the two groups was compared. Results: The percentages of disabling cerebrovascular events were 37.5% and 58.8% at discharge (P = 0.07), 20.8% and 42.6% at 3 months (P = 0.08), and 12.5% and 39.7% at 12 months (P = 0.02) in the LAA occlusion and warfarin groups, respectively. The mRS was significantly lower in the LAA occlusion group at discharge and at 3 months (P < 0.01) and 12 months (P < 0.01) postcerebrovascular event despite no significant difference in mRS before cerebrovascular events (P = 0.98). Patients in the LAA occlusion group demonstrated a significant reduction in mRS between discharge and 12 months (P < 0.01), unlike patients in the warfarin group (P = 0.10). Conclusions: Ischemic cerebrovascular events in patients who previously underwent percutaneous LAA occlusion for NVAF were more favorable than in patients on warfarin.