Clinical Outcomes of Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Versus Switch of Direct Oral Anti-coagulant in Atrial Fibrillation

BackgroundLeft atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) has emerged as an alternative to oral anti-coagulation therapy for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF), but data comparing LAAO with direct oral anti-coagulant (DOAC) is sparse.MethodThis cohort study compared LAAO (with or without prior anti-coagulation) with a switch of one DOAC to another DOAC. The primary outcome was a composite of all-cause mortality, ischemic stroke and major bleeding.ResultsA total of 2,350 patients (874 in the LAAO group and 1,476 in the DOAC switch group) were generated by 1:2 propensity score matching. After a mean follow up of 1052 ± 694 days, the primary outcome developed in 215 (24.6%) patients in the LAAO group and in 335 (22.7%) patients in the DOAC switch group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.94; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80 to 1.12; P=0.516). The LAAO group had a lower all-cause mortality (HR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.39 to 0.60; PConclusionsLAAO conferred a similar risk of composite outcome of all-cause mortality, ischemic stroke and major bleeding, as compared with DOAC switch. The risks of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality were lower with LAAO.CLINICAL PERSPECTIVE1)What Is New?Data comparing left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) with direct oral anti-coagulant (DOAC) in patient with atrial fibrillation (AF) was sparse.LAAO conferred a similar risk of composite outcome of all-cause mortality, ischemic stroke and major bleeding, as compared with switch of DOAC in patients with AF and intolerant to at least one anti-coagulant.The risks of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality were halved with LAAO.2)What Are the Clinical Implications?This study highlights the potential role of LAAO as a superior alternative to trying another DOAC for patients with AF and intolerant to at least one DOAC.Bleeding events after 6 months post LAAO were significantly reduced by 30% in the LAAO group as compared with the DOAC switch group, coinciding with the de-escalation in anti-thrombotic therapy.Reduction in bleeding during the first 6 months post LAAO represents a potential opportunity to further improve outcomes after LAAO.