For A-fib Patients, a Life Without Blood Thinners

For years, the first-line treatment for atrial fibrillation, or A-fib, has been blood thinners. A-fib, which is a cardiac rhythm abnormality, can lead to other health complications, including strokes — it’s estimated that 90% of all strokes happen in patients who have A-fib.

The problem with blood thinners is exactly what makes them so effective: They prevent blood clots. This is good when trying to avoid a stroke, but can cause complications when A-fib patients undergo surgery, fall, or have a history of other bleeding problems.

The WATCHMAN device solves that issue. It’s essentially a small plug placed on the left atrial appendage that prevents blood clots from forming there and traveling to the brain. It’s a simple solution. L. Garrison Morgan, M.D., director of the Structural Heart Disease program at the Medical University of South Carolina, says that his team can implant the device in about 15 minutes. The patients are on bed rest for about two hours, and then they go home. In the past six years, MUSC patients have experienced a 99.5% success rate and zero major complications. How did Morgan’s team get so good? In August, they completed their 800th WATCHMAN procedure.

But it’s no longer just a matter of volume. “There are clinical trials that we were part of that are essentially giving patients the option of having a WATCHMAN device as a first-line therapy,” Morgan said, which would mean that A-fib patients would never have to go on blood thinners for their condition.” “It’s very safe. It’s effective. It’s quick. And it gives the patient a lifetime’s worth of stroke prevention from one simple procedure.” Read more about MUSC and WATCHMAN here.