Causes of death and morbidity in patients with atrial fibrillation after left atrial appendage occlusion

Background: Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is a safe and effective alternative for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, there is little literature on the exact causes of death and adverse events during follow‑up after LAAO. Aims: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate survival free of any serious adverse events and of any‑cause death in midterm follow‑up. The secondary aims were to analyze causes of mortality and further hospitalization as well as adverse events, thromboembolism, and bleeding risk reduction during follow‑up. Methods: A retrospective, single‑center study was performed in 84 consecutive patients with AF who underwent LAAO with endocardial occluders. The mean (SD) CHADS2 score was 3.5 (1.1), CHA2DS2‑VASc score, 5.0 (1.5), and HAS‑BLED score, 4.4 (0.9). After LAAO, dual 6‑month antiplatelet therapy and then lifelong aspirin monotherapy was recommended. Mean (SD) follow‑up was 25.3 (13.2) months with an accumulated total follow‑up of 174.6 patient‑years. Results: The annual mortality rate was 12.02%. More than half of deaths (57%) were due to noncardiovascular causes with leading malignancy. Survival at the end of the periprocedural period was 98.8%, at 3 months, 97.6%, at 6 months, 95.2%, at 12 months, 86.5%, at 18 months, 85.1%, and at 24 months, 80.6%. The average annual thromboembolic event rate was 2.87%. The most common adverse event was severe bleeding with an annual rate of 6.3% (3 cases while receiving dual antiplatelet therapy and 6 cases while receiving aspirin). Conclusions: The majority of deaths were not related to stroke in patients with AF after LAAO. Mortality in first 2 years following the procedure was predominantly from noncardiovascular causes

The Right Coronary Anatomy and Operative Topography of the Tricuspid Valve Annulus

Background: The region of the tricuspid valve is an important area for various cardiac interventions. In particular, the spatial relationships between the right coronary artery and the annulus of the tricuspid valve should be considered during surgical interventions. The aim of this study was to provide an accurate description of the clinical anatomy and topography of this region. Methods: We analyzed 107 computed tomography scans (44% female, age 62.1 ± 9.4 years) of the tricuspid valve region. The circumference of the free wall of the tricuspid valve annulus was divided into 13 annular points and measurements were taken at each point. The prevalence of danger zones (distance between artery and annulus less than 2 mm) was also investigated. Results: Danger zones were found in 20.56% of the cases studied. The highest prevalence of danger zones and the smallest distances were found at the annular points of the tricuspid valve located at the posterior insertion of the leaflets, without observed sex-specific differences. Conclusion: The highest risk of iatrogenic damage to the right coronary artery is in the posterior part of the tricuspid valve annulus