Comparison of LAA-Closure vs Oral Anticoagulation in Patients With NVAF and Status Post Intracranial Bleeding.

Jena University Hospital530 enrolled

Overview

Atrial fibrillation is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. In atrial fibrillation, there is a risk that clots can form in the heart, especially in the left atrium. If these clots come loose, there is a risk of stroke. To prevent strokes, patients with atrial fibrillation and status post ICB can be treated with anticoagulants. This medication therapy prevents blood clots from forming in the heart, but can also cause bleeding. Another therapy option is the occlusion of the left atrium. After closure of the left atrium, only a short anticoagulation therapy is necessary until the occluder has healed. The aim of the study is to compare these two treatment approaches. In this study only already approved drugs and occlusion systems will be used.

Within the current trial, two novel strategies are tested in a randomized fashion in patients with atrial fibrillation and status post intracranial bleeding. Patients with ICH were usually excluded from the large NOAC trials and were also not representatively included in the large Watchman device trials. On the other hand, registries show that there is a significant proportion of patients with status post ICH that were implanted with a LAA closure device in clinical routine, and also there are those patients treated with NOAC due to their high stroke risk, despite the risk of recurrent ICH. Both therapies, NOAC and LAA closure are effective in preventing stroke in patients with AF at high risk for stroke. Also, for both therapies there is evidence for prevention of bleedings, especially intracranial bleeding events. Patients within the LAA closure group will have the chance after successful closure of the LAA to quit oral anticoagulation medication and therefore reduce their lifetime risk for bleeding and recurrent bleeding. Patients in the NOAC group are provided with an excellent protection against stroke and a significant reduced bleeding risk compared to Vitamin K antagonist therapy. The trial will help to develop data and hopefully guidelines for management of patients with AF and status post intracranial bleedings. It may help to give physicians data to therapy patients post ICH adequately and help to reduce mortality rates in those patients.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

Interventions

Percutaneous closure of the LAA (Watchman / Watchman FLX)DEVICE

LAA closure procedure will be done by experienced operators according to the local SOP. LAA closure will be performed under fluoroscopic and TEE guidance within conscious sedation or general anesthesia. Antibiotic single-shot prophylaxis should be administered peri-procedurally (i.e., cefazolin 2 g). The specific anatomy of the LAA is evaluated and an appropriately sized CE-marked device (Watchman or Watchman FLX) is deployed. LAA angiography and TEE imaging is performed to identify optimal positioning of the device and to exclude a relevant leak. Following device deployment, patients will receive a therapy according to the manufacturers IFU, currently Aspirin and clopidogrel for 3 months followed by single Aspirin up to 12 months. Alternatively, 3 months of NOAC followed by Aspirin monotherapy up to 12 months are possible.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Signed written informed consent * Documented atrial fibrillation (paroxysmal, persistent, long-standing persistent or permanent) * CHA2DS2VASc-Score ≥2 * Status post intracranial bleeding \>6 weeks * Favorable LAA anatomy * Subject eligible for a LAA occluder device * Age ≥18 years Exclusion Criteria: * Comorbidities other than AF requiring chronic (N)OAC therapy, e.g. mechanical heart valve prosthesis, hereditary thrombophilia requiring livelong OAC - recurrent thrombosis * Symptomatic carotid disease (if not treated) * Thrombus in the left atrium or left atrial appendage * Active infection or active endocarditis or other infections resulting in bacteremia * Functional Impairment (modified ranking scale ≥4 ) * Severe liver failure (Child-Pugh class C or liver failure with coagulopathy) * Pregnancy or breastfeeding * Subject with participation in another interventional clinical trial during this study or within 30 days before entry into this trial. * Known terminating disease with life expectancy \<1 year (including those with end-stage heart failure) * Subjects, who are committed to an institution due to binding official or court order * Subjects with planned cardiac or non-cardiac surgery or intervention. (These subjects can be included 30 days after intervention / surgery

Locations (33)

University Hospital Mannheim

Mannheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

RECRUITING

RHÖN-KLINIKUM Campus Bad Neustadt

Bad Neustadt an der Saale, Bavaria, Germany

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

Therapiezentrum Burgau

Burgau, Bavaria, Germany

ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING

REGIOMED Klinikum Coburg

Coburg, Bavaria, Germany

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Event free survival of the composite of cardiovascular or unexplained death, stroke (including ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke), systemic embolism, bleeding (BARC type 2-5)

Cardiovascular or unexplained death Cardiovascular mortality: * Death due to proximate cardiac cause e.g. myocardial infarction, cardiac tamponade, worsening heart failure, or endocarditis * Death caused by non-coronary, non-CNS vascular conditions such as: pulmonary embolism, ruptured aortic aneurysm, dissecting aneurysm or other vascular disease * Death from vascular CNS causes from hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke * All procedure-related deaths including those related to a complication of the procedure or treatment for a complication of the procedure * Sudden or unwitnessed death defined as non-traumatic, unexpected fatal event occurring within one hour of the onset of symptoms in an apparently healthy subject. If death is not witness, the definition applies when the victim was in good health 24 hours before the event * Death of unknown cause