Incidence and time course of atrial fibrillation following patent foramen ovale closure.

OBJECTIVES

Determine the true incidence and time course of atrial fibrillation (AF) after patent foramen ovale closure (PFOc) using implantable loop recorders (ILR) placed during cryptogenic stroke evaluation.

BACKGROUND

Published trials report a 2%-6.6% incidence of postimplant atrial fibrillation (PIAF) after PFOc, which is probably a gross underestimation, as only patients presenting in AF were captured. Episodes of paroxysmal and silent AF would have been missed.

METHODS

Of 761 patients who underwent PFOc at a single center between January 2016 and December 2020, 35 patients had an ILR implanted before PFOc, without documentation of AF, and had ≥1 month of monitoring post-PFOc. The incidence, onset, and conclusion of AF episodes were determined from a review of patient records.

RESULTS

The mean duration of ILR monitoring was 54.6 ± 39.4 weeks after PFOc. AF occurred in 13/35 (37%) patients. PFOc patients who developed PIAF were older than those who did not (62 ± 11 vs. 52 ± 14 years, p = 0.03). In 12/13, the initial PIAF event occurred within 4 weeks of PFOc, with the greatest frequency around 2 weeks and conclusion by 12 weeks in all. No recurrent strokes occurred during ILR monitoring.

CONCLUSION

The actual incidence of PIAF was far greater than previously reported and was significantly associated with older age at PFOc. The timing of PIAF onset and termination were consistent with a postimplant inflammatory mechanism. The higher actual PIAF incidence underscores its low stroke potential in this population. A larger prospective trial is required to validate these preliminary results.