Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...

"A-Fib.com is a great web site for patients, that is unequaled by anything else out there."

Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN

"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."

Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI

“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.

Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017

“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”

Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD

Doctors & patients are saying about 'Beat Your A-Fib'...

"If I had [your book] 10 years ago, it would have saved me 8 years of hell.”

Roy Salmon, Patient, A-Fib Free,
Adelaide, Australia

"This book is incredibly complete and easy-to-understand for anybody. I certainly recommend it for patients who want to know more about atrial fibrillation than what they will learn from doctors...."

Pierre Jaïs, M.D. Professor of Cardiology, Haut-Lévêque Hospital, Bordeaux, France

"Dear Steve, I saw a patient this morning with your book [in hand] and highlights throughout. She loves it and finds it very useful to help her in dealing with atrial fibrillation."

Dr. Wilber Su,
Cavanaugh Heart Center, Phoenix, AZ

"...masterful. You managed to combine an encyclopedic compilation of information with the simplicity of presentation that enhances the delivery of the information to the reader. This is not an easy thing to do, but you have been very, very successful at it."

Ira David Levin, heart patient,
Rome, Italy

"Within the pages of Beat Your A-Fib, Dr. Steve Ryan, PhD, provides a comprehensive guide for persons seeking to find a cure for their Atrial Fibrillation."

Walter Kerwin, MD, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA

2018 AF Symposium Live Case: Installing a Coherex WaveCrest LAA Occlusion Device

by Steve S. Ryan, PhD.

Background: The Coherex WaveCrest Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) occlusion device is not yet approved by the FDA for use in the U.S. The WaveCrest is similar in purpose to the Boston Scientific Watchman™ LAA Closure Device (which is FDA approved).

Tom De Potter MD

Dr. Tom De Potter of Aalst, Belgium, presented a live case in which he installed a Coherex WaveCrest Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) occlusion device in an 84-year-old female with longstanding A-Fib and a bleeding problem.

The WaveCrest has roll-out anchors which are then fixed into the sides of the LAA. It comes in three sizes to fit different LAA openings.

He spent a good deal of time and attention washing and immersing the WaveCrest in water to make sure there were no bubbles.

When the device is expanded inside the LAA, it can be repositioned and recaptured. Dr. Potter seemed to tug and firmly push and pull the device to anchor it. After insertion, it requires 2 months of dual antiplatelet therapy.

WaveCrest is from Coherex Medical, Inc., a subsidiary of Biosense Webster/Johnson & Johnson.

Coherex WaveCrest Video

Video still frames of Coherex WaveCrest occlusion device positioned in LAA.

Video animation is available: The Coherex Medical website has a short (35-second) showing the installation of the Coherex WaveCrest Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) occlusion device. Go to video on the Coherex website->

Editor’s Comments:

To me the WaveCrest seemed similar to Boston Scientific Watchman LAA Closure Device which did all the heavy lifting to be the first LAA occlusion device to get U.S. FDA approval.

I didn’t see major significant advantages of the WaveCrest. Though it’s always good for EPs to have a choice of devices when closing off the LAA.

For more on the Watchman, see my article, The Watchman™ Device: An Alternative to Blood Thinners.

If you find any errors on this page, email us. Y Last updated: Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Back to 2018 AF Symposium Reports