The Watchman - Minimally Invasive Procedure to Ameliorate AFib & Strokes - Swedish Cherry Hill - Seattle

                        1000 Watchman Patients Treated at Swedish l - Seattle, WA

                                         21 December 2023

  Congratulations to the excellent team at SWEDISH HEART & VASCULAR CLINIC & SWEDISH MEDICAL CENTER - CHERRY HILL CAMPUS for surpassing 1000 patients treated with Watchman. That’s a huge accomplishment & even more impressive when you combine the excellent outcomes the program has delivered for more than 10 years!

From the beginning of the Watchman clinical trials to the latest technology, Swedish has been an outstanding partner & leading center for LAAO.

Thank you to the lab staff, schedulers, office staff, referring physicians & everyone who has helped eclipse this benchmark! A special thank you to Sameer Gafoor, Huang Paul, Sidakpal Panaich, Darryl Wells & Adam Zivin - the exceptional team of implanting physicians who have set the bar high in Seattle! hashtag#WatchmanFLXPro hashtag#LAAO

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The Following Video is about 7 Years old, but clearly shows the procedure.

                                                                                                    

                                        The WATCHMAN 

In the intricate dance of managing atrial fibrillation (AFib), particularly for those at heightened risk of stroke yet facing challenges with traditional blood thinners, the WATCHMAN device has emerged as a beacon of hope and innovation. This detailed exploration delves into the comprehensive journey of patients considering, undergoing, and living with the WATCHMAN implant, offering a panoramic view of the experiences that define this pivotal healthcare pathway.

Understanding AFib and Stroke Risk

The journey begins with a diagnosis of AFib, a condition not just characterized by an irregular heartbeat but also shadowed by the looming risk of stroke. Patients learn that their irregularly beating atria can lead to the formation of blood clots, particularly in the left atrial appendage (LAA), which can travel to the brain, causing a stroke

What is a left atrial appendage closure?

Left atrial appendage closure is a surgical or minimally invasive procedure to seal off your left atrial appendage (LAA). This is a small sac in the muscle wall of your left atrium (top left chamber of your heart). Removing it or closing it off can reduce your risk of stroke and end the need to take blood thinners.

Among people with atrial fibrillation (Afib) who don’t have valve disease, most of the blood clots that happen in the left atrium start in the LAA.

Normal hearts contract with each heartbeat, squeezing the blood in your left atrium and LAA out into your left ventricle (bottom left chamber of the heart). When you have Afib, the electrical impulses that control your heartbeat don’t travel in an orderly way. They can be fast and chaotic, which doesn’t give your atria time to squeeze blood into your ventricles.

Because the LAA is a pouch, blood collects there and can form clots. When your heart pumps out blood clots, they can cause a stroke. People with Afib are three to five times more likely to have a stroke than the general population. While this is unsettling, your provider can help you protect yourself with a solution that works for you. This can involve medications that make it more difficult for these blood clots to form or closing off the left atrial appendage.

Your heart can keep doing its job with a closed left atrial appendage.

Types of left atrial appendage closure devices

Thousands of people worldwide have had an LAA closure. Providers use different methods and devices, like:

• Devices that block the left atrial appendage’s opening: WATCHMAN™, Amulet™, WaveCrest™ (these keep blood clots that form in your LAA from going into your bloodstream)
• Devices that clamp the base of the LAA to close it off: AtriClip™(disclosure: Cleveland Clinic has the potential to receive a royalty payment as a result of the sale of this clip)
• Devices that use a band or suture loop to close off your LAA: Lariat™, Sierra™

What does a left atrial appendage closure treat?

LAA closure reduces the stroke risk associated with Afib. But it doesn’t treat the Afib itself. Left atrial appendage closure can benefit people who have an increased risk of stroke due to Afib. If you’re at risk of getting blood clots in your left atrium/left atrial appendage, your healthcare provider may recommend sealing off your LAA to reduce your risk of stroke from Afib. They can do this instead of prescribing a blood thinner like warfarin (Coumadin® or Jantoven®), apixaban (Eliquis®), rivaroxaban (Xarelto®) or dabigatran (Pradaxa®).

Many people have concerns about, or dislike, taking warfarin. Some of the reasons for this are:

• A provider needs to check your blood often to see how quickly it clots (they use blood tests to make sure you’re taking the right amount of medication)
• You need to be consistent and limit certain foods you eat that contain vitamin K
• The risk of bleeding is higher while taking warfarin (this is especially concerning for people at a high risk of falling or bleeding from their gastrointestinal tracts)
• Some people don’t tolerate warfarin or have trouble maintaining a normal clotting time

People with Afib who don’t have heart valve disease can take other medications — apixaban, dabigatran and rivaroxaban. But some people have concerns and problems with these medications:

• People who can’t take anticoagulants can’t tolerate these medications.
• Some people are concerned about the cost of the medication.
• These medications also increase the risk of bleeding.