ArticleJournal of arrhythmia2026
The Efficacy of Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion During Thoracoscopic Epicardial AF Ablation for Improving Rhythm and Cardiac Function in Patients With Heart Failure.
Article in Journal of arrhythmia, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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9 authors.
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Abstract
Background: The left atrial appendage represents the main source of thrombus formation in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The LAA plays an important role in LA reservoir function, especially in patients with heart failure (HF). Limited data are available regarding the efficacy of surgical left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) during thoracoscopic epicardial AF ablation for improving rhythm and cardiac function. Methods: Patients who underwent thoracoscopic epicardial AF ablation with or without LAAO for AF combined with HF from February 2012 to November 2023 were included. Recurrence of AF, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), redo catheter ablation findings, and echocardiographic outcomes were compared between groups. Results: Among 127 patients, 13 (10.2%) did not receive LAAO according to their physicians' discretion. The atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence tended to be higher in the non-LAAO group (hazard ratio [HR] 1.38, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.68-2.78, Conclusions: Surgical LAAO during thoracoscopic epicardial AF ablation was effective for maintaining durable PV isolation in patients with HF. Thoracoscopic epicardial AF ablation improves LV systolic function regardless of LAAO status, and LAAO was not associated with worsening postoperative diastolic function.
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