The rates of stroke after left atrial appendage occlusion with the Watchman device in real-world clinical practice in the US is relatively low and consistent with those from clinical trials despite the high thromboembolic risk of the patients undergoing the procedure. The rates of death are relatively high in this elderly population with high rates of comorbidities, highlighting the need for shared decision-making regarding the procedure.

In this interview, James V. Freeman MD, MPH, MS, and Joseph E. Marine MD, MBA, FACC, with Purvi Parwani MBBS, MPH, FACC, discuss Long-term Outcomes Following Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion with a Watchman Device: Outcomes from the National Cardiovascular Data Registry.

Related References:

1. Price MJ, Slotwiner D, Du C, Freeman JV, Turi Z, Rammohan C, Kusumoto FM, Kavinsky C, Akar J, Varosy PD, Koutras C, Curtis JP, Masoudi FA. Clinical Outcomes at 1 Year Following Transcatheter Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion in the United States. JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 2022 Apr 11;15(7):741-750. doi: 10.1016/j.jcin.2022.02.009. PMID: 35393108; PMCID: PMC9116488.
2. Reddy VY, Doshi SK, Kar S, Gibson DN, Price MJ, Huber K, Horton RP, Buchbinder M, Neuzil P, Gordon NT, Holmes DR Jr; PREVAIL and PROTECT AF Investigators. 5-Year Outcomes After Left Atrial Appendage Closure: From the PREVAIL and PROTECT AF Trials. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2017 Dec 19;70(24):2964-2975. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2017.10.021. Epub 2017 Nov 4. PMID: 29103847.