title: Percutaneous left atrial appendage transcatheter occlusion (PLAATO) for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation: 2-year outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In more than 90% of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), stroke is due to thrombotic embolization from the left atrial appendage (LAA). Transcatheter occlusion with percutaneous left atrial appendage transcatheter occlusion (PLAATO), a self-expanding, membrane- covered spherical nitinol cage, is feasible and an alternative to anticoagulation therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a single-center prospective registry study for verification of stroke risk reduction in patients with AF 2 years after PLAATO.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-three patients with AF (permanent 65, paroxysmal 8) in whom anticoagulation therapy was contraindicated or rejected underwent transcatheter LAA occlusion with PLAATO. One patient died periprocedurally due to implant embolization, and 1 patient underwent open-heart surgery because of implant instability. The remaining 71 patients were followed for 24 months. In 52 patients a stable anchoring of the PLAATO device without migration or dislocation was documented by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). No thrombotic deposition was found on the LA luminal surface of the device. Statistically, in our patient cohort, 7 strokes would have been expected without any treatment within 24 months. In fact, no strokes were reported. Ten out of 71 patients died during follow up: 6 in our hospital and 4 at home. None of them died from a stroke.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ninety-seven percent of AF patients were successfully treated with PLAATO. After mechanical LAA occlusion, the 2-year risk of stroke in AF patients is markedly reduced. Therefore, this therapeutic concept is a clear alternative for patients with AF and contraindications for oral anticoagulation.
authors.affiliation: Hoyerswerda Hospital, 1st Medical Department, Cardiology, Angiology, Nephrology, Academic Teaching Hospital of the Technical University of Dresden, Hoyerswerda, Germany. jai-wunpark@t-online.de
authors.forename: Jai-Wun
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leithäuser
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gerk
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vrsansky
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000497:Alloys; D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D000925:Anticoagulants; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000628:therapy*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D000075202:Contraindications; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000009:adverse effects; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000150:complications; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000497:Alloys; D000925:Anticoagulants; C013616:nitinol