Prophylactic Left Atrial Appendage Ligation During Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Allows Safe Avoidance of Anticoagulation Regardless of Postoperative Atrial Fibrillation.

Background New-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) is the most common arrhythmia following cardiac surgery. POAF increases the risk of thromboembolism and stroke, as well as morbidity and mortality more generally. Despite evidence from the landmark PROTECT-AF and PREVAIL trials, left atrial appendage ligation (LAAL) is not routinely performed for thromboembolism prophylaxis in POAF, and anticoagulation remains the standard of care along with dual antiplatelet therapy. This study evaluated the efficacy of concomitant LAAL in eliminating the need for postoperative anticoagulation, regardless of POAF development, in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods Between 2019 and 2021, 130 patients were selected to undergo concomitant LAAL while undergoing CABG surgery. Patients were then monitored for the incidence of new-onset POAF, and anticoagulation was strictly avoided for this indication. Demographic and outcome data were collected, with endpoints including transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke, death, and readmission within one year, as well as the length of hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. Results POAF occurred in 37 patients (28.5%), consistent with previous reports. However, none of the POAF patients experienced TIA or stroke during the one-year follow-up period, compared to 2 (2.15%) in the non-POAF group, a typical rate of postoperative stroke in such a patient population. No significant differences were observed between POAF and non-POAF cohorts in one-year stroke, all-cause mortality, readmission rates, or total hospital stay. Interestingly, the POAF cohort had a significantly longer mean ICU stay (4.24 vs 3.37 days, p = 0.0219), possibly due to the time required for arrhythmia control before discharge. The study population had a high mean CHA