For this reason, blood thinners like warfarin (Coumadin), apixaban (Eliquis) or rivaroxaban (Xarelto) are often used to prevent strokes in patients with A Fib.

Although blood thinners are very effective at preventing strokes, they are sometimes not tolerated by patients, for example, due to bleeding from the GI tract, or bleeding in the brain that can happen in patients who fall and hurt themselves.  Some research studies suggest that up to 30% of patients on blood thinners stop within 2 years due to bleeding complications.

WHAT IS LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE CLOSURE?

To serve a need in patients who cannot tolerate blood thinners, a left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) device called the Watchman device was approved by the FDA to treat patients who were high risk for strokes but cannot take blood thinners long term.  It is a small device made of nickel-titanium alloy and polyethylene mesh.  This device plugs up the LAA and causes your body to grow scar tissue over the device and wall off the pouch so blood cannot go in and clot cannot come out.

HOW IS LEFT ATRIAL APPENDAGE CLOSURE DONE?

• The procedure is done in the operating room or cardiac catheterization laboratory.
• No incisions are required.
• Patients go to sleep with general anesthesia.
• A small IV tube is inserted in a vein in the leg.
• The Watchman device is inserted into the IV tube and delivered into the heart using a small steerable catheter.
• The Watchman device is released and deployed into the LAA.
• The device stays attached to the LAA.
• The steerable catheter and all IV tubes are removed from the body.
• Most physicians take less than one hour to implant the Watchman device.
• The majority of our patients go home the same day.