Dr. Stuart Connolly, Principal Investigator – Arrhythmias Program, Population Health Research Institute, received the ESC Geoffrey Rose Lectureship at the European Society of Cardiologists Congress 2018, for his lecture, Prevention of stroke in atrial fibrillation: 3 decades of progress – Where next?
During the ESC Geoffrey Rose Lecture, Dr. Connolly noted that “There has been much progress in understanding the role of anticoagulant medication for stroke prevention, but we have recently learned that there may be better ways to prevent stroke in patients with AF.
“Treatments such as combination therapy with anticoagulants and aspirin, left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion and new devices that are being tested show great promise.”
The Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Study (LAAOS) III, of which Dr Connolly is Study Chair, is the largest trial to date to explore the efficacy of LAA occlusion for stroke prevention. This international trial will randomise 4,700 patients with AF, in whom cardiac surgery is planned, to undergo LAA occlusion or no LAA occlusion. The results will inform future clinical practice regarding stroke prevention in AF.1
Dr. Connolly is also Professor of Medicine at McMaster University, and a Cardiac Electrophysiologist at Hamilton Health Sciences.