This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
VIDEO: Forward motion in LAA closure research holds promise for improved AF treatment
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
ORLANDO, Fla. — Horst Sievert, MD, founder and director of the Cardiovascular Center Frankfurt, Germany, discusses the current state of left atrial appendage closure at the annual American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.
Offering background on the length of time left atrial appendage (LAA) closure has been performed in Europe, he discusses the recent FDA approval of the Watchman device (Boston Scientific) in the United States, pointing to positive mortality data from the PROTECT-AF trial.
“I’m convinced this will replace anticoagulation in most of the patients with atrial fibrillation,” he said.
Sievert outlines the other devices and techniques already given CE mark approval or under investigation in clinical trials. He highlights “the beauty” of one approach that leaves no device in the body, thereby lowering the potential for late complications.
“Currently, the field is really moving forward, and this will really change the way we treat patients with [AF],” Sievert said.
Finally, he touches on the reimbursement issues surrounding LAA closure, as well as the debate over populations that may be candidates in context of guidelines.