Sarah Zimmerman, MS
Statistician 3Cards
About
Research
Publications
2025
Long-Term Outcomes Following Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion in Medicare Beneficiaries: Outcomes From the National Cardiovascular Data Registry.
Higgins A, Zimmerman S, Wang Y, Friedman D, Faridi K, Price M, Reddy V, Holmes D, Curtis J, Freeman J. Long-Term Outcomes Following Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion in Medicare Beneficiaries: Outcomes From the National Cardiovascular Data Registry. Journal Of The American Heart Association 2025, 14: e039780. PMID: 40767285, DOI: 10.1161/jaha.124.039780.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNational Cardiovascular Data Registry LAAO RegistryCumulative incidence of ischemic strokeMedicare fee-for-service claims dataNational Cardiovascular Data RegistryCumulative incidenceIncidence of ischemic strokeCohort of Medicare patientsAll-Cause MortalityIschemic strokeFollow-upRetrospective cohort studyMedicare beneficiariesPatient valuesMedicare patientsClaims dataCumulative incidence of deathData registryCohort studyProbabilistic matchingPrimary outcomeMortality estimatesElderly populationAppendage occlusionOutcome dataPercutaneous left atrial appendage occlusionComparing Claims Data to Stroke and Bleeding in the NCDR Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Registry
Faridi K, Freeman J, Wang Y, Pereira L, Zimmerman S, Friedman D, Sharma R, Higgins A, Mortazavi B, Ross J, Krumholz H, Yeh R, Curtis J. Comparing Claims Data to Stroke and Bleeding in the NCDR Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion Registry. JACC Advances 2025, 4: 102019. PMID: 40712270, PMCID: PMC12311505, DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2025.102019.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchInternational ClassificationPositive predictive valueClaims dataRegistry dataIncidence rateNational Cardiovascular Data Registry LAAO RegistryGastrointestinal bleedingIntracranial hemorrhageHemorrhagic strokeBleeding eventsIschemic strokePostmarketing surveillanceTranscatheter left atrial appendage occlusionInpatient hospitalizationSurveillance of therapyRevision codesMajor bleeding eventsNegative predictive valueKappa statisticRegistryRegistry patientsModerate agreementEstimates of sensitivityMajor bleedingAppendage occlusionClinical Effectiveness of Transcatheter Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion With Watchman FLX Compared With First-Generation Watchman
Price M, Tan Z, Zimmerman S, Curtis J, Freeman J. Clinical Effectiveness of Transcatheter Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion With Watchman FLX Compared With First-Generation Watchman. JACC Cardiovascular Interventions 2025, 18: 1318-1326. PMID: 40436498, DOI: 10.1016/j.jcin.2025.03.025.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsWatchman FLXNational Cardiovascular Data Registry LAAO RegistryDevice-related thrombusIschemic strokeClinical effectsWatchman 2.5Peridevice leakAppendage occlusionAdverse eventsAssociated with significantly lower riskTranscatheter left atrial appendage occlusionSignificantly lower riskLeft atrial appendage occlusionSecondary analysisPropensity Score Matching AnalysisScore matching analysisStudy cohortPropensity score matchingSystemic embolismAnatomical closureTransesophageal echocardiographyPrimary endpointLow riskProcedural complicationsWatchman deviceSame‐Day Discharge After Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation in the United States
Sandhu A, Qin L, Minges K, Zimmerman S, Borne R, Polsinelli V, Ho P, Hsu J, Al‐Khatib S, Freeman J, Bradley S, Rao S, Hernandez A, Tzou W, Varosy P, Hess P. Same‐Day Discharge After Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation in the United States. Journal Of The American Heart Association 2025, 14: e039190. PMID: 40240938, PMCID: PMC12184264, DOI: 10.1161/jaha.124.039190.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSame-day dischargeRate of same-day dischargeAF ablationComplication rateAtrial fibrillationPersistent AFCatheter ablation of atrial fibrillationAblation of atrial fibrillationOvernight hospitalizationLikelihood of same-day dischargeSame-day discharge ratePostprocedural complication rateSame-day discharge patientsSubstantial hospital variationCatheter ablationDays postprocedureClinical factorsBlack raceIndex procedureComorbid conditionsPatientsHospital variationSame-dayHospitalComplicationsLONG-TERM OUTCOMES FOLLOWING LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE OCCLUSION IN MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES: OUTCOMES FROM THE NATIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR DATA REGISTRY
Higgins A, Zimmerman S, Wang Y, Friedman D, Faridi K, Price M, Reddy V, Holmes D, Curtis J, Freeman J. LONG-TERM OUTCOMES FOLLOWING LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE OCCLUSION IN MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES: OUTCOMES FROM THE NATIONAL CARDIOVASCULAR DATA REGISTRY. Journal Of The American College Of Cardiology 2025, 85: 869. DOI: 10.1016/s0735-1097(25)01353-1.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2024
Association of Physician Certification and Outcomes Among Patients Undergoing Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion
Vora A, Pereira L, Du C, Tan Z, Huang C, Friedman D, Wang Y, Faridi K, Lakkireddy D, Zimmerman S, Higgins A, Kapadia S, Curtis J, Freeman J. Association of Physician Certification and Outcomes Among Patients Undergoing Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion. JACC Cardiovascular Interventions 2024, 18: 591-602. PMID: 39474982, DOI: 10.1016/j.jcin.2024.10.020.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPhysician certificationAppendage occlusionAdverse eventsPercutaneous left atrial appendage occlusionLong-term oral anticoagulationDischarged patientsMultivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysisRate of procedural complicationsLeft atrial appendage occlusionCox proportional hazards regression analysisProportional hazards regression analysisRisk of adverse eventsHazards regression analysisIn-Hospital DeathOral anticoagulantsWatchman FLXNo significant differenceLAAO devicesProcedural complicationsStratify patientsIntracardiac echocardiographyAtrial fibrillationEligible patientsIdentified patientsMultivariable adjustmentProcedure Volume and Outcomes With WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion
Friedman D, Du C, Zimmerman S, Tan Z, Lin Z, Vemulapalli S, Kosinski A, Piccini J, Pereira L, Minges K, Faridi K, Masoudi F, Curtis J, Freeman J. Procedure Volume and Outcomes With WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion. Circulation Cardiovascular Interventions 2024, 17: e013466. PMID: 38889251, PMCID: PMC11189610, DOI: 10.1161/circinterventions.123.013466.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsVolume-outcome relationshipLikelihood of procedural successLeft atrial appendage occlusionProcedural successProcedure volumeAppendage occlusionNational Cardiovascular Data Registry LAAO RegistryVolume quartilesLeft atrial appendage occlusion devicesThree-level hierarchical generalized linear modelsMinimum volume thresholdsWatchman FLX deviceProcedural success rateHierarchical generalized linear modelsAssociated with outcomePhysician volumeWATCHMAN procedureFLX deviceOcclusion deviceVolume thresholdCardiovascular proceduresPhysiciansHospitalNational analysisSuccess ratePredicting Major Adverse Events in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion
Faridi K, Ong E, Zimmerman S, Varosy P, Friedman D, Hsu J, Kusumoto F, Mortazavi B, Minges K, Pereira L, Lakkireddy D, Koutras C, Denton B, Mobayed J, Curtis J, Freeman J. Predicting Major Adverse Events in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion. Circulation Arrhythmia And Electrophysiology 2024, 17: e012424. PMID: 38390713, PMCID: PMC11021146, DOI: 10.1161/circep.123.012424.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchNational Cardiovascular Data RegistryLeft atrial appendage occlusionIn-hospital major adverse eventsMajor adverse eventsBedside risk scoreRisk scoreData registryIncreased fall riskAdverse eventsQuality improvement effortsWatchman FLXAppendage occlusionFall riskLeft atrial appendage occlusion procedureRegistry dataImprovement effortsRisk of in-hospital major adverse eventsPredicting major adverse eventsLogistic regressionAdverse event ratesModerate discriminationClinically relevant variablesFemale sexAtrial fibrillation terminationLAAO procedures
2023
Watchman device migration and embolization: A report from the NCDR LAAO Registry
Friedman D, Freeman J, Zimmerman S, Tan Z, Pereira L, Faridi K, Curtis J. Watchman device migration and embolization: A report from the NCDR LAAO Registry. Journal Of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology 2023, 34: 1192-1195. PMID: 37078339, PMCID: PMC10290479, DOI: 10.1111/jce.15909.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsWATCHMAN procedureSurgical retrievalDevice migrationMortality rateAtrial appendage closure deviceHospital mortality rateAnnual procedure volumeCardiac surgeryHospital eventsPostdischarge eventsOstial sizeDevice embolizationTaller patientsRetrospective analysisClosure deviceLAA ostiumPatientsProcedure volumeHigh mortalitySurgerySubstantial proportionEmbolizationRegistryGreater body massBody mass
2022
Periprocedural Pericardial Effusion Complicating Transcatheter Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion: A Report From the NCDR LAAO Registry
Price MJ, Valderrábano M, Zimmerman S, Friedman DJ, Kar S, Curtis JP, Masoudi FA, Freeman JV. Periprocedural Pericardial Effusion Complicating Transcatheter Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion: A Report From the NCDR LAAO Registry. Circulation Cardiovascular Interventions 2022, 15: e011718. PMID: 35369701, PMCID: PMC9132377, DOI: 10.1161/circinterventions.121.011718.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAtrial appendage occlusionComposite of deathPericardial effusionAppendage occlusionSystemic embolismOdds ratioEarly postdischarge mortalityDual antiplatelet therapyLow serum albuminMean patient ageAdverse event ratesParoxysmal atrial fibrillationRisk of deathRisk-benefit ratioHospital strokeMean CHAPostdischarge mortalityVASc scoreWATCHMAN procedureAntiplatelet therapyIndex hospitalizationAdverse eventsPatient agePrimary outcomeVentricular function
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