Combined Pulsed-field Ablation (PFA) and Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Using Watchman Flx or Amulet

NCT ID: NCT05560204

Last Updated: 2024-11-29

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

ENROLLING_BY_INVITATION

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

200 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-01-01

Study Completion Date

2027-12-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

AF ablation is an established treatment option for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). While AF ablation helps to maintain cardiac rhythm in sinus, the stroke risk associated with AF persists after ablation. Oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy is currently the standard therapy before and after successful ablation. Percutaneous LAA Occlusion (LAAO) has been emerged as an alternative to oral anticoagulants for stroke prophylaxis in patients who refused or contraindicated to OAC. As both AF ablation and percutaneous LAAO require transseptal access from to left atrium, combining the two procedures into one single procedure may provide a straightforward strategy aiming at concomitant rhythm control as well as stroke prevention, without the additional risk of multiple procedures. It is showed in previous studies that this approach is feasible and safe.

Pulsed-field ablation (PFA) is a non-thermal ablation technology that uses high amplitude pulsed electrical fields to ablate tissues through the mechanism of irreversible electroporation. Irreversible electroporation is the application of high electric field to a cell with a resultant increased permeability of the membrane and downstream cell death. Success with PFA depends upon the proximity of the electrode to the target tissue, but not necessarily upon contact. Therefore, with PFA the transseptal access for successful AF ablation is less demanding. Moreover, PFA would induce less pulmonary ridge edema compared to conventional ablation techniques and could potentially causes less PDL. Watchman Flx (Boston Scientific) and Amulet (Abbott) are the two most commonly used LAAO devices. The two devices have different designs, deployment requirements and occlusion results. Both devices have been used in combined procedure. However, there is no data of combined AF ablation and LAAO using the PFA technique, and of combined AF ablation comparing the use of Watchman Flx versus Amulet device.

In this randomized controlled study, we aim to assess the feasibility and compare the peri-procedural outcomes and LAA occlusion result of combined AF ablation (using the PFA technique), and LAAO using either the Watchman Flx or the Amulet device.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrythmia globally. Its prevalence ranges between 2-4% worldwide. It is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. AF ablation is an established treatment option for non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). While AF ablation helps to maintain cardiac rhythm in sinus, the stroke risk associated with AF persists after ablation. Oral anticoagulant (OAC) therapy is currently the standard therapy before and after successful ablation. Percutaneous LAA Occlusion (LAAO) has been emerged as an alternative to oral anticoagulants for stroke prophylaxis in patients who refused or contraindicated to OAC . As both AF ablation and percutaneous LAAO require transseptal access from to left atrium, combining the two procedures into one single procedure may provide a straightforward strategy aiming at concomitant rhythm control as well as stroke prevention, without the additional risk of multiple procedures. It is showed in previous studies that this approach is feasible and safe. However, the current AF ablation techniques (radiofrequency ablation and cryoballoon ablation) requires a less posterior transseptal access while LAAO requires a posterior-inferior transseptal access. This could potentially make LAAO after same procedure AF ablation using the same transseptal access more challenging. Besides, current ablation techniques would induce edema over pulmonary ridge, which could potentially result in significant peri-device leak (PDL) post LAAO after edema subsided. Pulsed-field ablation (PFA) is a non-thermal ablation technology that uses high amplitude pulsed electrical fields to ablate tissues through the mechanism of irreversible electroporation. Irreversible electroporation is the application of high electric field to a cell with a resultant increased permeability of the membrane and downstream cell death. Success with PFA depends upon the proximity of the electrode to the target tissue, but not necessarily upon contact. Therefore, with PFA the transseptal access for successful AF ablation is less demanding. Moreover, PFA would induce less pulmonary ridge edema compared to conventional ablation techniques and could potentially causes less PDL. Watchman Flx (Boston Scientific) and Amulet (Abbott) are the two most commonly used LAAO devices. The two devices have different designs, deployment requirements and occlusion results. Both devices have been used in combined procedure. However, there is no data of combined AF ablation and LAAO using the PFA technique, and of combined AF ablation comparing the use of Watchman Flx versus Amulet device. In this randomized controlled study, we aim to assess the feasibility and compare the peri-procedural outcomes and LAA occlusion result of combined AF ablation (using the PFA technique), and LAAO using either the Watchman Flx or the Amulet device.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Combined Pulsed-field Ablation (PFA)

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Watchman Flx

Watchman Flx device to be used for LAAO

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Combined Pulsed-field Ablation (PFA) + Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion (LAAO)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Pulsed-field ablation (PFA) is a non-thermal ablation technology that uses high amplitude pulsed electrical fields to ablate tissues through the mechanism of irreversible electroporation

Percutaneous LAA Occlusion (LAAO) has been emerged as an alternative to oral anticoagulants for stroke prophylaxis in patients who refused or contraindicated to OAC

Amulet

Amulet device to be used for LAAO

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Combined Pulsed-field Ablation (PFA) + Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion (LAAO)

Intervention Type DEVICE

Pulsed-field ablation (PFA) is a non-thermal ablation technology that uses high amplitude pulsed electrical fields to ablate tissues through the mechanism of irreversible electroporation

Percutaneous LAA Occlusion (LAAO) has been emerged as an alternative to oral anticoagulants for stroke prophylaxis in patients who refused or contraindicated to OAC

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Combined Pulsed-field Ablation (PFA) + Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion (LAAO)

Pulsed-field ablation (PFA) is a non-thermal ablation technology that uses high amplitude pulsed electrical fields to ablate tissues through the mechanism of irreversible electroporation

Percutaneous LAA Occlusion (LAAO) has been emerged as an alternative to oral anticoagulants for stroke prophylaxis in patients who refused or contraindicated to OAC

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Paroxysmal or persistent non- valvular atrial fibrillation
2. CHADS2-VASc \>=2
3. Age \>=18; and able to give written consent

Exclusion Criteria

1. are in permanent atrial fibrillation
2. are not eligible for 3 months of oral anticoagulant post ablation
3. has left Atrial thrombus identified by pre-procedure TEE or during procedure
4. had received prior left atrial appendage closure procedure (percutaneous or surgical)
5. are planned to receive concomitant ablation procedure or structural heart interventions other than AF ablation and LAAO (e.g SVT ablation, Aflutter ablation, PFO closure, leadless pacemaker, ASD Closure, etc)
6. patient whom refused or cannot tolerate procedural or post procedural follow-up TEE
Minimum Eligible Age

19 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Dr So Chak Yu kent

Principle Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Chak YU So, MBChB

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Prince of Wales Hospital

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Prince of Wales Hospital

Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong

Site Status

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Hong Kong

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Hindricks G, Potpara T, Dagres N, Arbelo E, Bax JJ, Blomstrom-Lundqvist C, Boriani G, Castella M, Dan GA, Dilaveris PE, Fauchier L, Filippatos G, Kalman JM, La Meir M, Lane DA, Lebeau JP, Lettino M, Lip GYH, Pinto FJ, Thomas GN, Valgimigli M, Van Gelder IC, Van Putte BP, Watkins CL; ESC Scientific Document Group. 2020 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation developed in collaboration with the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS): The Task Force for the diagnosis and management of atrial fibrillation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Developed with the special contribution of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) of the ESC. Eur Heart J. 2021 Feb 1;42(5):373-498. doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa612. No abstract available.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 32860505 (View on PubMed)

January CT, Wann LS, Calkins H, Chen LY, Cigarroa JE, Cleveland JC Jr, Ellinor PT, Ezekowitz MD, Field ME, Furie KL, Heidenreich PA, Murray KT, Shea JB, Tracy CM, Yancy CW. 2019 AHA/ACC/HRS Focused Update of the 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS Guideline for the Management of Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019 Jul 9;74(1):104-132. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2019.01.011. Epub 2019 Jan 28. No abstract available.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 30703431 (View on PubMed)

Phillips KP, Walker DT, Humphries JA. Combined catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation and Watchman(R) left atrial appendage occlusion procedures: Five-year experience. J Arrhythm. 2016 Apr;32(2):119-26. doi: 10.1016/j.joa.2015.11.001. Epub 2015 Dec 8.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 27092193 (View on PubMed)

Swaans MJ, Alipour A, Rensing BJ, Post MC, Boersma LV. Catheter ablation in combination with left atrial appendage closure for atrial fibrillation. J Vis Exp. 2013 Feb 26;(72):e3818. doi: 10.3791/3818.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 23486416 (View on PubMed)

Alipour A, Swaans MJ, van Dijk VF, Balt JC, Post MC, Bosschaert MAR, Rensing BJ, Reddy VY, Boersma LVA. Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation Combined With Left Atrial Appendage Closure. JACC Clin Electrophysiol. 2015 Dec;1(6):486-495. doi: 10.1016/j.jacep.2015.07.009. Epub 2015 Oct 22.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 29759402 (View on PubMed)

Calvo N, Salterain N, Arguedas H, Macias A, Esteban A, Garcia de Yebenes M, Gavira JJ, Barba J, Garcia-Bolao I. Combined catheter ablation and left atrial appendage closure as a hybrid procedure for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Europace. 2015 Oct;17(10):1533-40. doi: 10.1093/europace/euv070. Epub 2015 May 1.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 25935163 (View on PubMed)

Fassini G, Conti S, Moltrasio M, Maltagliati A, Tundo F, Riva S, Dello Russo A, Casella M, Majocchi B, Zucchetti M, Russo E, Marino V, Pepi M, Tondo C. Concomitant cryoballoon ablation and percutaneous closure of left atrial appendage in patients with atrial fibrillation. Europace. 2016 Nov;18(11):1705-1710. doi: 10.1093/europace/euw007. Epub 2016 Jul 11.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 27402623 (View on PubMed)

Phillips KP, Pokushalov E, Romanov A, Artemenko S, Folkeringa RJ, Szili-Torok T, Senatore G, Stein KM, Razali O, Gordon N, Boersma LVA. Combining Watchman left atrial appendage closure and catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: multicentre registry results of feasibility and safety during implant and 30 days follow-up. Europace. 2018 Jun 1;20(6):949-955. doi: 10.1093/europace/eux183.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 29106523 (View on PubMed)

He B, Jiang LS, Hao ZY, Wang H, Miao YT. Combination of ablation and left atrial appendage closure as "One-stop" procedure in the treatment of atrial fibrillation: Current status and future perspective. Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 2021 Jul;44(7):1259-1266. doi: 10.1111/pace.14201. Epub 2021 Mar 9.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 33629763 (View on PubMed)

Reddy VY, Dukkipati SR, Neuzil P, Anic A, Petru J, Funasako M, Cochet H, Minami K, Breskovic T, Sikiric I, Sediva L, Chovanec M, Koruth J, Jais P. Pulsed Field Ablation of Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation: 1-Year Outcomes of IMPULSE, PEFCAT, and PEFCAT II. JACC Clin Electrophysiol. 2021 May;7(5):614-627. doi: 10.1016/j.jacep.2021.02.014. Epub 2021 Apr 28.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 33933412 (View on PubMed)

Reddy VY, Neuzil P, Koruth JS, Petru J, Funosako M, Cochet H, Sediva L, Chovanec M, Dukkipati SR, Jais P. Pulsed Field Ablation for Pulmonary Vein Isolation in Atrial Fibrillation. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019 Jul 23;74(3):315-326. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2019.04.021. Epub 2019 May 11.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 31085321 (View on PubMed)

Lakkireddy D, Thaler D, Ellis CR, Swarup V, Sondergaard L, Carroll J, Gold MR, Hermiller J, Diener HC, Schmidt B, MacDonald L, Mansour M, Maini B, O'Brien L, Windecker S. Amplatzer Amulet Left Atrial Appendage Occluder Versus Watchman Device for Stroke Prophylaxis (Amulet IDE): A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Circulation. 2021 Nov 9;144(19):1543-1552. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.057063. Epub 2021 Aug 30.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 34459659 (View on PubMed)

Tzikas A, Holmes DR Jr, Gafoor S, Ruiz CE, Blomstrom-Lundqvist C, Diener HC, Cappato R, Kar S, Lee RJ, Byrne RA, Ibrahim R, Lakkireddy D, Soliman OI, Nabauer M, Schneider S, Brachmann J, Saver JL, Tiemann K, Sievert H, Camm AJ, Lewalter T. Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion: the Munich consensus document on definitions, endpoints, and data collection requirements for clinical studies. Europace. 2017 Jan;19(1):4-15. doi: 10.1093/europace/euw141. Epub 2016 Aug 18.

Reference Type RESULT
PMID: 27540038 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

2022.494

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id