Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion After Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation:
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Abstract
Background Emerging evidence suggests that a combined approach
with left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) and catheter ablation (CA)
may be a safe, effective alternative for patients with atrial
fibrillation (AF) at high risk of bleeding and stroke.
Objective This review seeks to systematically evaluate the
safety and efficacy of this combined approach, addressing gaps in the
current evidence. Methods A systematic search of PubMed,
Science Direct, and Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials
(CENTRAL) was performed for studies that reported outcomes comparing CA
and LAAO vs. CA without LAAO. The Review Manager 5.4 software was
utilized to conduct a meta-analysis of the outcomes. Results
Six studies of 3,770 patients with AF, of whom 1778 underwent LAAO after
CA vs. 1992 CA, were analyzed. After a mean follow-up of 30 months, the
combined approach was associated with a significantly lower risk of
major bleeding compared to CA alone (OR 0.45; 95% CI 0.26-0.78; p
<0.0001). There were no differences in stroke or systemic
embolism rates between groups (OR 1.00; 95% CI 0.66–1.52; p = 0.91),
and no significant difference was observed in all-cause mortality (OR
0.77; 95% CI 0.34–1.74; p = 0.35). Conclusion This
meta-analysis suggests that a combined approach is associated with a
reduction in major bleeding while demonstrating non-inferiority in
thromboembolic events and mortality compared to CA alone. Further
randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings.