Utilization of WATCHMAN FLX for surgically incomplete left atrial appendage occlusion: a multicentre case series

In patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation, the vast majority of thrombi originate in the left atrial appendage (LAA). Thus, occluding the LAA significantly reduces one’s risk for developing an ischaemic stroke. To date, many different surgical methodologies in LAA occlusion (LAAO)/exclusion have been studied and utilized. Unfortunately, patients are often left with incomplete closure of their LAA, leaving behind residual lobes that continue to allow thrombus formations. With the recent rise in percutaneous approaches and devices such as the WATCHMAN FLX, there have been proven success rates in achieving total closure of the LAA. Reports and investigations regarding the utilization of WATCHMAN FLX devices in patients with surgically incomplete LAAO remain limited.

We present three cases of patients who had previously undergone surgical exclusion of the LAA yet unfortunately were left with residual LAA that continued to place them at high risk for an ischaemic stroke. Percutaneous LAAO with the WATCHMAN FLX was utilized to successfully achieve complete sealing of the residual lobes in failed LAA surgical closures.

Our multicentre case series elucidates that an increased risk of stroke due to surgical LAAO failure is a real-world possibility that is likely to be encountered in clinical practice. We demonstrate in this series how the WATCHMAN FLX may provide a feasible and safe method to supplement a surgically incomplete LAAO to allow for improved ischaemic stroke and systemic embolization risk reduction.