Wiley Acta Medica Okayama 2397-9070 8 1 2023 Clinical significance of gastrointestinal bleeding history in patients who undergo left atrial appendage closure e13009 EN Tatsuya Kikuchi Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Yoshiyasu Kono Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Koji Nakagawa Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Hiroyuki Okada Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Masakazu Miyamoto Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Yoichi Takaya Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Shoichiro Hirata Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Shoko Inoo Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Sakiko Kuraoka Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Shotaro Okanoue Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Katsunori Matsueda Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Takuya Satomi Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Kenta Hamada Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Masaya Iwamuro Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Seiji Kawano Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Yoshiro Kawahara Department of Practical Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University Background and Aim: Anticoagulant users with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) sometimes suffer from gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) and have difficulty continuing the medication. Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) has been developed for such situations. We aimed to clarify the clinical significance of a history of GIB in comparison to other factors in patients who had undergone LAAC.<br> Methods: From October 2019 to September 2023, patients with NVAF who underwent LAAC at our hospital were enrolled. We investigated the percentage of patients with a history of GIB who underwent LAAC and compared the incidence of post-LAAC bleeding in these patients compared to those with other factors.<br> Results: A total of 45 patients were included. There were 19 patients (42%) with a history of GIB who underwent LAAC. In a Kaplan–Meier analysis, the cumulative incidence of bleeding complications after LAAC was significantly higher in patients with a history of GIB in comparison to patients with other factors. There were eight cases of post-LAAC bleeding in total, and seven cases had GIB.<br> Conclusions: We need to recognize that GIB is a significant complication in patients who undergo LAAC. The management of GIB by gastroenterologists is essential to the success of LAAC. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.