Bailout left atrial appendage occluder for pulmonary vein isolation and electrical cardioversion in patients with atrial fibrillation and left atrial appendage thrombus: a pilot study

Background: Cardioversion and catheter-based circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) are established rhythm control treatment strategies for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, these treatments are contraindicated for AF patients with a left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus.

Methods: We conducted the first-in-man case series study to evaluate the feasibility and safety of performing cardioversion or CPVI in AF patients with LAA thrombus immediately after implantation of LAA Occluder (LAAO) in a combined procedure. In our multi-center LAAO registry of 310 patients, 27 symptomatic and drug-refractory AF patients underwent a combined procedure of LAAO and CPVI, among whom 10 (mean age 68 ± 16 years, 6 men) having anticoagulant-resistant LAA thrombus received a bailout procedure of LAAO implantation first then CPVI, and the other 17 patients without LAA thrombus received CPVI first then LAAO for comparison.

Results: The mean CHA₂DS₂-VASc score and HAS-BLED score were comparable between these two groups. In patients with LAA thrombus, we put carotid filters and did a no-touch technique, neither advancing the wire and sheath into the LAA nor performing LAA angiography. After LAAO implantation, the connecting cable was still connected to the occluder when cardioversion was performed. During CPVI, the occluder location was registered in the LA geometry by three-dimensional mapping to guide the catheter not to touch the LAAO. The procedure was successful in all the patients without intra-procedural complications. After a mean follow-up of 1.7 ± 0.7 years, there was no device embolization, peri-device leak ≧ 5 mm or stroke event in both groups. The AF recurrence rate was also similar between the two groups (P = 0.697).

Conclusion: We demonstrated that cardioversion or CPVI is doable in symptomatic AF patients with LAA thrombus if LAA was occluded ahead as a bailout procedure.