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Updated: Sep 28, 2025
Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: February 26, 2013
3D printing for left atrial appendage closure: A meta-analysis and systematic review
Diana DeCampos1, Rogério Teixeira2, Carolina Saleiro1
1Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra - Hospital Geral, Quinta dos Vales, São Martinho do Bispo 108, 3041-801 Coimbra, Portugal.
Background:
Three-dimensional printing (3D) has emerged as an alternative to imaging to guide left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) device sizing.
Aims:
We assessed the usefulness of 3D printing compared to a standard imaging-only approach for LAAC.
Methods:
We identified studies comparing an imaging-only with a 3D printing approach in LAAC. A fixed-effects meta-analysis was performed targeting a co-primary endpoint of disagreement in device sizing and leaks.
Results:
Eight studies that assigned 283 participants to an imaging-only approach and 3D printing approach (145 patients) were included. 3D printing significantly reduced the risk of the co-primary endpoint (risk raio (RR) = 0.19; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.09-0.37), with consistency across the studies (I2 = 0%). Individually, both device size disagreements [RR 0.13 (95% CI 0.06-0.29), P < 0.001] and leaks [RR 0.24 (95% CI 0.09-0.64) P = 0.004] were reduced under a 3D printing modeling strategy.
Conclusion:
Compared with an imaging-only strategy, 3D printing is associated with reduction in device size disagreements and leaks.
