What is Atrial Fibrillation?
Everything you need to know from the experts
at St. Joseph Health
Article Courtesy of | St. Joseph Health
Atrial Fibrillation (Afib) is a heart condition where the upper chambers of the heart (atrium) beat too fast and with irregular rhythm (fibrillation). Afib is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, currently affecting more than five million Americans.
Twenty percent of all strokes occur in patients with Afib, and Afib-related strokes are more frequently fatal and disabling. The most common treatment to reduce stroke risk in patients with Afib is blood-thinning warfarin medication. Despite its proven efficacy, long-term warfarin medication is not well-tolerated by some patients and carries a significant risk for bleeding complications. Nearly half of Afib patients eligible for warfarin are currently untreated due to tolerance and adherence issues.
An estimated six million Americans are affected by Afib – an irregular heartbeat that feels like a quivering heart. People with Afib have a five times greater risk of stroke than those with normal heart rhythms. The WATCHMAN FLX™ device closes off an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA) to keep harmful blood clots that can form in the LAA from entering the bloodstream and potentially causing a stroke. By closing off the LAA, the risk of stroke may be reduced and, over time, patients may be able to stop taking blood thinners. The next-generation technology has a new design to help treat more patients safely and effectively to ensure the best long-term outcomes.
Thomas Meade, MD, Electrophysiologist at St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital performed the hospital’s first implant of the next-generation WATCHMAN FLX™ Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Device on a patient with atrial fibrillation (Afib) on Wednesday, July 14, 2021.
St. Joseph Health is the only hospital in the Brazos Valley to offer the WATCHMAN FLX™ device, built upon the most studied and implanted LAAC device in the world, as an alternative to the lifelong use of blood thinners for people with Afib not caused by a heart valve problem (also known as non-valvular Afib).
“The WATCHMAN FLX™ device is a new alternative for patients with non-valvular Afib who are at risk for a stroke, especially those with a compelling reason not to be on blood thinners,” said Thomas Meade, MD, electrophysiologist at St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital. “I’m proud to have performed the first of many implants of this device at St. Joseph, as it offers patients potentially life-changing stroke risk treatment.”
The WATCHMAN device has been implanted in more than 150,000 patients worldwide and is done in a one-time procedure. It’s a permanent device that doesn’t have to be replaced and can’t be seen outside the body. The procedure is done under general anesthesia and takes about an hour. Patients commonly stay in the hospital overnight and leave the next day. In addition to Dr. Meade performing this new procedure, Dr. Rodney Horton will also perform this procedure at St. Joseph.
To learn more, visit St-Joseph.org or: www.watchman.com
References
- Benjamin EJ, Muntner P, Alonso A, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2019 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2019;137:e1-e473
- National Stroke Association. Making the Afib-Stroke Connection. https://www.stroke.org/sites/default/files/resources/AfibConnection%20for%20hcp.pdf. Published 2012. Accessed September 1, 2016