Why should cardiac surgeons occlude the left atrial appendage percutaneously?

Objectives Percutaneous left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion (LAAO) is a procedure dominated by cardiologists. The aim of our study was to present the results of percutaneous LAAO performed solely by cardiac surgeons. Methods Two hundred twenty-three consecutive patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation underwent percutaneous LAAO in two cardiac surgery sites. In the first center, all 84 LAAO procedures were performed with the endocardial LAA occluders: 60 cases with the Amulet and 24 cases with the LAmbre. In the second center, all 139 LAAO procedures were performed with the LARIAT epicardial device. Results The mean CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc-score was 3.7 +/- 1.8 points, and mean HAS-BLED score was 3.6 +/- 1.2 points. The procedure was successful in 97.3% of cases. Procedural or device-related adverse events were noted in 4.4% (n = 10) of cases: one periprocedural cardiac arrest, one aortic injury, one gastrointestinal bleeding, three cases of vascular access complications, and four cardiac tamponades. After a follow-up of 40.3 +/- 17.3 months, 78.4% of patients were alive, with the annual mortality rate of 5.3%. Compared to the predicted risk, the observed incidence of thromboembolism was lower by 71%, and the bleeding incidence was lower by 69%. Conclusions Percutaneous LAAO procedures can be safely performed by cardiac surgeons, with no cardiological assistance. LAAO done by surgeons is safe and effective, and periprocedural and long-term outcomes are excellent. Cardiac surgeons should be trained in both types of LAAO: endocardial and epicardial.