BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A new tool that can help defend people against stroke has made both patients and doctors optimistic.
The Watchman offers an alternative to the lifelong use of warfarin for people with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem.
“You can offer patients both the benefit of stroke reduction and at the same time a reduced risk of bleeding complications,” said Dr. Deepak Gaba, who has been implanting the device since April at the Medical Center at Bowling Green.
The permanent heart implant effectively reduces the risk of stroke – without the risk of bleeding that can come with the long-term use of warfarin.
The Watchman works due to the connection of atrial fibrillation and stroke. Atrial fibrillation affects your heart’s ability to pump blood out normally. This can cause blood to pool in an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage, or LAA.
The implant fits right into the left atrial appendage. It’s designed to permanently close it off and keep those blood clots from escaping. The device is about the size of a quarter and made from very light and compact materials commonly used in many other medical implants.
It is implanted into your heart in a one-time procedure. It’s permanent and it doesn’t have to be replaced or be seen outside the body.
Following the procedure, patients take warfarin for 45 days or until the left atrial appendage is closed off. The doctor will monitor as the heart tissue grows over the implant.
In a clinical trial:
- 92% of patients were able to stop taking warfarin just 45 days after the procedure.
- 99% of patients were able to stop taking warfarin within 1 year after the procedure.
Dr. Gaba hopes people will approach this method to their physicians.
“It’s a life-changing therapy for the majority of patients.”