AHA Conference 2024 - Safety and efficacy outcomes comparing left atrial appendage (LAA) closure with the WATCHMAN FLX device to oral anticoagulation (OAC) following atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation.

Dr Oussama Wazni (The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Ohio, US) joins us onsite at AHA Conference to discuss the findings from OPTION (NCT03795298).

OPTION is a prospective, multi-center, multi-national trial where patients with moderate to high risk of stroke who received AF catheter ablation were randomized to receive either LAA with the WATCHMAN FLX device or market-approved OAC. 1,600 patients were enrolled and were followed up through 36 months. The primary effectiveness endpoint is stroke, all cause death, systemic embolism, and the primary safety endpoint is non-procedural bleeding.

Interview Questions:
1.    What is the reasoning behind the OPTION trial?
2.    What is the current research landscape for LAA closure following AF ablation?
3.    What was the study design and patient population?
4.    What were the key findings?
5.    What are the take-home messages for practice?
6.    What further research is needed in this area, and what are the next steps?

Recorded remotely from Ohio, 2024. 

Editors: Yazmin Sadik, Jordan Rance
Videographers: David Ben-Harosh

Support: This is an independent interview produced by Arrhythmia Academy.