The study protocol and patient selection:
Between January 2016 to December 2018, we identified patients admitted with AF using appropriate ICD-10-CM codes. (Supp. file) AF patients who had pLAAC were identified using the ICD-10-PCS code. Readmission was determined following the methodology described under the HCUP. We documented only the first readmission if the patient was admitted multiple times. Trauma-related readmissions were excluded before the final analysis. The details of the inclusion process are presented in Figure 1. We evaluated gender-specific index hospitalization complications and mortality. For the 30-day readmission analyses, we excluded patients admitted in the December months of the study period. For six-month readmission analyses, we excluded patients from July to December months of the study period as patients can’t be tracked into the following year. Additionally, we assessed overall and gender-specific predictors of readmissions and the top 10 causes of readmissions in men and women.