The average person with atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is five times more
likely to have a stroke than someone with a regular heartbeat. That’s
because AFib can decrease the heart’s pumping capacity by as much
as 30 percent! Because blood isn’t pumped out of the heart normally,
clots can form in an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage,
or LAA. If a clot escapes into the bloodstream, it can travel up to the
brain and cause a stroke.
In atrial fibrillation that is not caused by a heart valve problem, blood
thinners are an effective way to lower stroke risk. However, some people
don’t tolerate blood thinners well. Blood thinners can increase
the risk of bleeding. If you have a job or active lifestyle that puts
you at risk for injury, your doctor may consider an alternative to blood
thinners, such as the WATCHMAN FLXTM Implant. A one-time procedure to implant the WATCHMAN FLX Left Atrial
Appendage Closure (LAAC) device could reduce your stroke risk for a lifetime.
WATCHMAN FLX Procedure
Made from very light and compact materials, the WATCHMAN FLX left atrial
implant is about the size of a quarter. To implant the device, the doctor
makes a small cut in the femoral vein in the patient’s thigh. Using
guided imaging, a narrow catheter is threaded up the vein to the heart’s
LAA. Then, the WATCHMAN FLX device is introduced through the catheter
and positioned in place to close off the left atrial appendage. The procedure
is done under general anesthesia and typically takes about an hour. Patients
commonly stay in the hospital overnight and leave the next day.
Over the next six weeks, heart tissue grows over the WATCHMAN FLX implant,
forming a permanent barrier against blood clots. Patients continue to
take a blood thinner for about 45 days, until their left atrial appendage
is permanently closed off.
How Does the WATCHMAN FLX Work?
An Alternative to Blood Thinners & The Benefits
The WATCHMAN FLX implant permanently closes off the LAA to keep blood clots
from escaping.
Benefits:
Effectively closes off the LAA to reduce stroke risk
Eliminates the use of blood thinners over time
Eliminates blood-thinner related bleeding risks, regular blood tests, and
food-and-drink restrictions
In clinical trial, 96% of people were able to stop taking blood thinners
just 45 days after the WATCHMAN FLX procedure.
