Search

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have a five-fold increase in stroke events, and ∼90% of the thrombi develop in the left atrial appendage (LAA). Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) has emerged as a safe and feasible alternative to oral anticoagulation (OAC) for stroke prevention in selected patients with non-valvular AF and contraindications to OAC. Atrial fibrillation is closely associated with mitral disease, and there is a growing interest in combined procedures. More than half of patients undergoing a mitral transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (M-TEER) suffer of AF and many have high or unacceptable bleeding risk., Case Summary: We present a case of an 80-year-old woman suffering from paroxysmal AF, right carotid siphon aneurysm, and primary mitral regurgitation, with a high bleeding risk, who underwent a combined intervention of M-TEER and LAAO., Discussion: The combination of these two procedures is a logical step once the access to the left atrium is obtained with a transseptal puncture (TSP) and a transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is in place to guide both procedures. The turning point in LAAO procedure is a correct TSP allowing coaxial alignment of the sheath with the LAA neck. Steerable delivery sheaths are promising dedicated tools, particularly in challenging anatomy or during combined procedures requiring different TSP positions., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: None declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: Percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) is an emerging alternative to oral anticoagulation for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with AF, elevated stroke risk and contraindications to long-term anticoagulation treatment. Optimal pre-procedural planning is essential to ensure optimal procedural results., Case Summary: We report the case of a 62-year-old man with a history of right cerebellar haematoma referred for LAA closure. We describe the first use of FEops HEARTguide patient-specific computational simulation in the planning of LAAC with the Watchman Flex device (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, MA, USA) in an unusual 'whale tail'-like LAA anatomy., Discussion: Percutaneous left atrial appendage (LAA) closure is feasible in the majority of patients. However, certain LAA anatomies may pose substantial technical challenges. This case shows the crucial role of a pre-procedural assessment based on patient-specific computational simulations for LAA closure in difficult scenarios resulting in a more efficient procedure with the optimal result and good clinical outcomes., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)