Watchman

What Is a Watchman Occlusion Device?

In patients with atrial fibrillation who have experienced difficulties with blood thinners including significant bleeding, a Watchman device may be an excellent option. A Watchman is a small left atrial appendage closure device that covers or occludes the left atrial appendage, where the main risk of stroke occurs. The Watchman implant is delivered through a catheter, which then is guided to your heart through a large vein in your leg, similar to a heart catheterization procedure. The procedure to implant this device is known as a left atrial appendage closure procedure.
 

What Is Atrial Fibrillation?

There are millions of patients throughout the United States living with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Atrial fibrillation is the most common irregular heart rhythm, which can significantly increase a patient’s risk of stroke. A patient with atrial fibrillation is five times more likely to have a stroke than someone without atrial fibrillation, including an ischemic stroke.

Why is someone with atrial fibrillation more likely to have a stroke?

In atrial fibrillation, the upper chambers of the heart, also called the atria, are beating so fast that they are quivering, and as a result the blood is not flowing properly. This can then lead to stagnant blow blood flow, which could then result in a blood clot. Over 90% of blood clots formed due to atrial fibrillation occur in the left atrial appendage. The left atrial appendage is a small pouch in a person’s left atrium, or left upper chamber of the heart. This is where the main risk of stroke comes from in patients with atrial fibrillation; a blood clot typically forms in the left atrial appendage and then can travel in a patient’s bloodstream to the brain and give the patient a stroke.
 

Why Is the Watchman Device Used?

The Watchman device is an alternative to warfarin and other blood thinner medications. This device ultimately reduces the risk of stroke in patients and can avoid the bleeding risks associated with many blood thinning medications. For decades, the main way to reduce risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation was with blood thinning medications. There are many blood thinning medications currently available, the most common brand being warfarin. By thinning a patient’s blood, these medications can significantly reduce a patient’s risk of stroke, typically by 65%-75%. Although these medications can be very effective in reducing risk of stroke, all these medications carry risks for major bleeding. Because of the risk for major bleeding, there are many patients who are unable to tolerate standard recommended blood thinners. Patients on blood thinners may have recurrent hospitalizations for significant bleeding or may develop significant anemia due to slow chronic blood loss. The Watchman device allows patients to cut down on their risk of strokes without suffering long-term effects of blood thinner use.