Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34647061›Full record

ArticleJTCVS techniques2021

Robotics-assisted epicardial left atrial appendage clip exclusion.

Tamim Antaki, Joshua Michaelman, John McGroarty

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JTCVS techniques, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 15 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Guideline
  2. Guideline
  3. Article
  4. Brazilian Atrial Fibrillation Guidelines - 2025.Arquivos brasileiros de cardiologia · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Observational
  7. Article
  8. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Tamim AntakiDivision of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center, Melbourne, Fla.
Joshua MichaelmanDivision of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center, Melbourne, Fla.
John McGroartyDepartment of Anesthesiology, Health First Holmes Regional Medical Center, Melbourne, Fla.
Holmes Regional Medical Center · USHealth First · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesWe demonstrate the feasibility and safety of robotics-assisted left atrial appendage clip exclusion in clinical practice.

methodsAnalysis of a single center robotics-assisted left atrial appendage clip exclusion experience using an epicardial linear clip device in patients with atrial fibrillation with high-risk of thromboembolic stroke and intolerance to oral anticoagulants.

resultsDuring the period from December 2017 to September 2020, we performed 42 robotics-assisted left atrial appendage clip exclusions in response to increased risk of bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation and intolerance to oral anticoagulants. The average congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, diabetes, stroke, and vascular disease score was 5.2 ± 1.6 and hypertension, abnormal liver or kidney function, stroke, bleeding, labile international normalized ratio, elderly, drugs (aspirin, other antiplatelets, or anticoagulants) score was 4.5 ± 0.9. No patients died intraoperatively or within 30 days, or due to conversion to thoracotomy, intraoperative complications, or failure to apply the clip satisfactorily. The procedure was successfully completed despite pericardial adhesions in 2 patients with prior coronary bypass grafts and 3 with postpericarditis scars. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography was performed in 38 out of 42 patients; satisfactory exclusion with left atrial appendage stump <5 mm was confirmed in all. Average length of stay was 3.4 ± 3 days with 12 out of 42 patients discharged within 24 hours. Oral anticoagulants were discontinued in 41 out of 42 patients and no cases of 30-day stroke, myocardial ischemia, or new arrhythmias were observed. One case of hemothorax required thoracoscopy a day later. There was no reported thromboembolic stroke or transient ischemic attack at 12 months. One case of late lacunar stroke was due to in situ small intracranial vessel thrombosis without left atrial appendage thrombus on imaging.

conclusionsRobotics-assisted left atrial appendage clip exclusion is a safe and feasible minimally invasive method for left atrial appendage management in patients with atrial fibrillation with intolerance to oral anticoagulants and increased risk of thromboembolic stroke.

Indexed as

AF, atrial fibrillationatrial fibrillationCHA2DS2-VASc, congestive heart failure, hypertension, age, diabetes, stroke, vascular disease scoreCTA, computerized tomographic angiographyDAPT, dual antiplatelets therapyHAS-BLED, hypertension, abnormal liver or kidney function, stroke, bleeding, labile international normalized ratio, elderly, drugs (aspirin, other antiplatelets, or anticoagulants) scoreLAA, left atrial appendageLCX, left circumflex arteryleft atrial appendageOACs, oral anticoagulantsoral anticoagulant intoleranceRLAAC, robotics-assisted left atrial appendage clip exclusionrobotic cardiac surgerystroke preventionTEE, transesophageal echocardiographyTES, thromboembolic stroke

Identifiers

PMID34647061
PMCPMC8501246
OpenAlexW3185390947

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.