Managing the Left Atrial Appendage in Atrial Fibrillation: Current State of the Art

Abstract

Background: Patients with atrial fibrillation are at increased risk for thromboembolic stroke originating predominantly in the left atrial appendage. To reduce the risk, the standard of care is anticoagulation. In addition, several devices for exclusion of the left atrial appendage have been developed.

Methods: PubMed was searched for articles relevant to left atrial appendage management. The resulting articles were reviewed as were relevant articles in their bibliographies. Relevant journals were manually searched for sources.

Results: Devices are being used for left atrial appendage exclusion by percutaneous and surgical approaches. Their indications, limitations, and outcomes are reviewed.

Conclusions: Excision and exclusion of the left atrial appendage is safe and as effective as medical management of atrial fibrillation for stroke prevention. The choice of treatment should be made based on patients' anatomy, history, and preference informed by an appropriate left atrial appendage management team.