October 27, 2023- Findings from a trial led by Cleveland Clinic show that patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) at the same time as a left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) procedure using the Watchman™ device had similar outcomes when compared to patients getting TAVR in addition to medical therapy or blood thinners.
Results from the “Safety and Efficacy of Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion at the Time of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement — The WATCH TAVR Trial” were presented during a late-breaking clinical trial session at the 2023 annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics conference and simultaneously published in the journal Circulation.
TAVR is most commonly the first-line treatment for patients over 65 years old with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis or narrowing of the aortic valve. Up to 40% of these patients experience atrial fibrillation, a type of abnormal heart rhythm. Atrial fibrillation also can increase the risk of stroke, and patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing TAVR have an increased risk of death, stroke and rehospitalization compared to those without atrial fibrillation.