Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...
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Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
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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
FAQ: Closure of the LAA
“I don’t want to be on a blood thinner for years and years. My doctor is talking about closure of the Left Atrial Appendage. What is an occlusion device?”
An occlusion device, like the FDA approved Watchman., is used to close off the Left Atrial Appendage (LAA), the source of most clots (90%-95%) and A-Fib-related strokes.
The Watchman is inserted in a very low risk procedure that takes as little as 20 minutes. Afterward, you would usually not need to be on a blood thinner (anticoagulant).
Closure of the LAA is often included in a Maze/Mini-Maze surgery and sometimes as part of a catheter ablation.
Side Effects: Closure of the LAA may compromise the ability of the Left Atrium to function fully. Serious athletes would probably miss the reduced blood flow from the left atrium. But most A-Fib patients would hardly notice.
Catheter placing Watchman in LAA
Long-Term Effects: What are the long-term effects of leaving a mechanical device like the Watchman inside the heart? We know that, after a few months, heart tissue grows over the Watchman device so that the LAA is permanently closed off from the rest of the heart.
It seems unlikely that complications would develop after a long period of time (compared to long-term use of the blood thinner, warfarin). But we can’t say that for sure until enough time has passed. The first clinical trials installation of the Watchman device in the US was in 2009 and in Europe in 2004. So far, no long-term complications have developed.
Other Occlusion Devices: Besides the Watchman from Boston Scientific, other occlusion devices include the Amplatz Amulet from St. Jude Medical and the LAmbre from LifeTech Scientific.
EPs Installing the Watchman Device: To find EPs installing the Watchman or other occlusion devices, I highly recommend selecting an electrophysiologist (EP) who is certified in “Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology”. For a list of EPs meeting this criteria, see Steve’s Lists of A-Fib Doctors by Specialty: Doctors Installing the Watchman.
Reference Articles: To learn more about the removal of the LAA, and the Watchman, see my articles, The Role of the Left Atrial Appendage (LAA) & Removal Issues and The Watchman™ Device: The Alternative to Blood Thinners.
