Alternative treatment to OAC

AF currently affects more than 6 million Europeans 1

AF decreases the heart’s pumping efficiency by 30% 2

AF causes the blood to pool in the Left Atrial Appendage

People with AF have 5X greater risk of stroke 3

Getting to the Heart of the Problem

WHAT IS

ATRIAL FBRILLATION?

Atrial fibrillation happens when the top two chambers of the heart, the atria, beat too fast and with an irregular rhythm (fibrillation). AFib can decrease the heart’s pumping efficiency by as much as 30 percent2. This can cause blood cells to pool and stick together, forming clots in an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA).

WHAT IS

A STROKE?

A stroke happens when the blood flow to the brain is reduced or blocked.
Without the oxygen-rich blood and nutrients your brain cells need to thrive, they start to die and can cause brain damage. 

SYMPTOMS

AFIB

Some people with atrial fibrillation w'ont feel any symptoms at all.
Those who do have symptoms may experience the following: 

STROKE

  • Sudden numbness, weakness, or paralysis of the face, arm, or leg (especially only on side of the body)
  • Sudden confusion
  • Sudden trouble speaking or understanding speech
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
  • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination
  • Sudden severe headache with no known cause

What Are My Treatment Options?

TREATMENTS TO REDUCE

AFIB STROKE RISK

BLOOD

THINNERS

To lower the risk of stroke, doctors may prescribe blood-thinning medications (anticoagulants) that help prevent clots from forming. These medications include warfarin (commonly called Coumadin®) and newer approved blood thinners.

Blood thinners are very effective in lowering the risk of stroke in people with AFib. Most patients can safely take these medications for years and even decades without serious side effects.

However, because anticoagulants help prevent clots by thinning the blood, they can also increase the risk of bleeding problems. Some bleeding events are minor and easily treated, like a cut taking longer to stop bleeding than normal. In other cases, bleeding can be serious and require hospitalization. Sometimes, the bleeding can be life-threatening or fatal, such as when bleeding in the brain causes a stroke.

For some patients, the risk of major bleeding is higher than for others. When prescribing blood thinners, doctors weigh the risk of a stroke against the risk of a serious bleeding problem. These risks vary depending on existing medical conditions, family history, lifestyle, and other factors.

IMPLANT ALTERNATIVE TO

BLOOD THINNERS

The WATCHMAN Implant offers a breakthrough approach to reducing stroke risk. Most blood clots in people with AFib develop in an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA). The WATCHMAN Implant acts as a barrier to keep these blood clots from escaping the LAA and going into the bloodstream, blocking a blood vessel, and causing a stroke.

In addition to clots traveling to the brain from the LAA, other factors can cause a stroke, including high blood pressure and narrowing of the blood vessels to the brain. The WATCHMAN Implant will not prevent these other causes of stroke.

It’s also important to understand that, like blood thinners, the WATCHMAN Implant does not cure atrial fibrillation. However, it does offer a potentially life-changing treatment option that can free people with AFib from the burden of taking blood thinners long term.

  

How Does WATCHMAN LAAC Work?

Patient Testimonials
.

  

Resources

Get help discussing your treatment options with your doctor with our Doctor Discussion Guide

  

Find a Doctor

Find an implanting center
Top