Gender‐specific outcomes after percutaneous left atrial appendage closure: A nationwide readmission database analysis

Introduction Thromboembolism‐associated stroke is the most feared complication of atrial fibrillation (AF). Percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (pLAAC) is indicated for stroke prevention in patients with AF who can not tolerate long‐term anticoagulation. We aim to study gender differences in peri‐procedural and readmissions outcomes in pLAAC patients. Methods Using the national readmission database from January 2016 to December 2018, AF patients undergoing the pLAAC procedure were identified. We used multivariate logistic regression analyses and time‐to‐event Cox regression analyses to conduct the study. Propensity matching with the Greedy method was done for the accuracy of results. Result A total of 28 819 patients were included in our study. Among them 11 946 (41.5%) were women and 16 873 (58.6%) were men. The mean age of overall population was 76.1 ± 8.5 years, with women ~1 year older than men. The overall rate of complications was higher in women (8.6% vs. 6.6%, p