Success of surgical left atrial appendage closure: assessment by transesophageal echocardiography.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine which surgical technique of left atrial appendage (LAA) closure is most successful by assessing them with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).


BACKGROUND
Atrial fibrillation is a risk factor for stroke, with 90% of clots occurring in the LAA. Several surgical techniques of LAA closure are used to theoretically reduce the stroke risk, with varying success rates.


METHODS
A total of 137 of 2,546 patients who underwent surgical LAA closure from 1993 to 2004 had a TEE after surgery. Techniques consisted of either excision or exclusion by sutures or stapling. The TEE measurements included color Doppler flow in the LAA and interrogation for thrombus. Patent LAA, remnant LAA (residual stump >1 cm), or excluded LAA with persistent flow into the LAA were identified as unsuccessful closure.


RESULTS
Of the 137 patients, 52 (38%) underwent excision and 85 (62%) underwent exclusion (73 suture and 12 stapler). Only 55 of 137 (40%) of closures were successful. Successful LAA closure occurred more often with excision (73%) than suture exclusion (23%) and stapler exclusion (0%) (p < 0.001). We found LAA thrombus to be present in 28 of 68 patients (41%) with unsuccessful LAA exclusion versus none with excision. At time of TEE, 6 patients with successful LAA closure (11%) and 12 with unsuccessful closure (15%) had evidence of stroke/transient ischemic attack (p = 0.61).


CONCLUSIONS
There is a high occurrence of unsuccessful surgical LAA closure. Of the various techniques, excision appears to be the most successful.
Kanderian
Anne S
AS
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio 44195, USA. kleina@ccf.org
Gillinov
A Marc
AM
Pettersson
Gosta B
GB
Blackstone
Eugene
E
Klein
Allan L
AL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016896:Treatment Outcome