Periprocedural anticoagulation therapy in patients undergoing micra leadless pacemaker implantation

Over the past decade, there has been significant improvement in the treatment cardiac diseases and symptomatic bradyarrhythmias with the development of leadless pacemaker systems. The Micra transcatheter pacemaker system has been shown to mitigate a lot of the complications associated with traditional pacing systems, which are notably skin pocket and lead-related complications. Numerous studies have shown the low complication rates associated with Micra procedure; however, there have been no specific guidelines or recommendations surrounding periprocedural anticoagulant therapy. This is important because a significant percentage of patients requiring pacemaker therapy have an indication for anticoagulation therapy as well. Multiple studies have shown the safety of uninterrupted anticoagulation during Micra implant, however, there is insufficient high-quality data to recommend periprocedural systemic use of anticoagulation. In this paper, we review the available data surrounding anticoagulation therapy in patients undergoing Micra implantation and the potential bleeding risks associated with this procedure.