Watchman device

[Andyt36]

What do you guys make of this .....

watchman.com/hcp/home.html

[rosyG]

This is available for selected patients on the NHS- they have special meetings to decide eligibility.

Dr John Foran is an expert on it

[CDreamer]

I think you will only be eligible if for some reason oal anti-coagulation is contraindicated.

[Hidden]

Hi Andy, I live in the US and I know the rules for eligibility are different in our two countries. I was having side effects from the coumadin. Won't bore you with the details. But I had the Watchman procedure done on Jan 15 of this year and am in the process of getting off coumadin. It was done under general anesthesia and by using cardiac catheters to insert the device. (the Watchman). For other reasons I had problems with other anticoagulants and will be very happy to get anticoagulants out of my life. The best place to start is by asking your Electrophysiologist (EP) about it. They are the cardiologists who do the procedure-if it were me I would bypass my GP and regular cardiologist and direct my questions to the EP. Any questions you have feel free to ask.I'm glad I did it and will be glad to help if I can. Take care. irina1975 (USA Atlanta, GA) PS No surgery or procedure should be taken lightly. Get your information, take your time, and then get all your questions answered. It is not for everyone. But as procedures go it was painless. Was kept overnight for monitoring, then d/c'd the next morning. Doing fine as we speak,

[CDreamer in reply to Hidden]

Irina - it’s very hard to bypass the GP in the first instance in UK - NHS protocol is that you need a referral from your GP and same for private practice. Your GP has to assess you before referring. Luckily mine is on side and I have no problems but that is not always the case.

[Hidden in reply to CDreamer]

Hi CDreamer. I should have guessed that from reading posts but wasn't sure. Thanks or the heads up. In the US the need for a referral or not depends on an individual's insurance. There are so many plans here- copays/no copays, referral needed or not/ deductible amts per year. It can get very confusing. Even with medicare, which I have, one has to carry a supplemental insurance policy to cover what medicare doesn't. I'm lucky. During my working years I very often worked extra hours or had a part time job on the side. It paid off when I retired because the amt of one's social security check is based on lifetime earnings. So I am able to afford a good supplemental insurance. Mine allows me to skip referrals and call a specialist directly. I forget how lucky I am to be able to do that. Very often the PCP (GP in UK) doesn't want to refer but would rather treat the problem and make the money him/herself. (The almighty $ at work again). Each of our countries have positives and negatives. I worry now-after having such good coverage for so long that 'our illustrious President' will change things. I hope not but I won't hold my breath. I guess all we can hope for is a PCP/GP we can work with. Here they are responsible for keeping our care coordinated and being sure all docs are kept in the info loop. Medicare pays them a monthly fee for doing that. It's so complicated. Take care. irina1975

[Angie06]

Hi Andy, I was put forward for the Watchman device by my cardiologist as I cannot take any anticoagulant due to multiple cavernomas in the brain. I'm due to have it done in March and feeling really nervous but hearing about Irina's experience has helped.

[Hidden in reply to Angie06]

Glad I could help. The protocol here (US) is after the procedure (Jan 15th was date done) I must continue my coumadin-still testing weekly at home-for 45 days. On Feb 28th I will have a TEE/TOE done under sedation to make sure the device has healed and is sealed over with my own tissue and there is no blood flow between the LAA opening into the atrium. If this is the case then on Mar6th I will see the EP who did the procedure and will be taken off the coumadin and started on Plavix and a baby aspirin (81mg) for about 3 1/2 to 4 months. No more TEE/TOE's. I have an appt in July with the EP and if everything has gone well will stop the Plavix and just continue on with a daily baby aspirin (coated to help protect the stomach). Then my procedure and follow up will be complete and I will go back under the care of my regular EP. I had this done by an EP who is part of a big group. My regular EP did my pacemaker and ablation. The EP who is also great is the one in the practice who does the Watchmans in the group. Others in the group do other procedures so what you're having done depends on which doc is handling your care. Sounds confusing, butt they are all in the same (huge office) and work and communicate well so I have never been afraid of being under someone else's care for a time. Will keep you posted re progress. The main thing is I am thrilled to soon be off anticoagulants. If the TEE on Feb 28th shows there is still blood flow being exchanged between the 2 areas-no problem- I will just be kept on Coumadin a little longer. I can deal with that because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Hope this helps. Take care. irina1975. BTW the procedure went smoothly. I had no post-op pain and needed no pain med afterward. Stayed overnight for monitoring and went home the next morning. The hardest part was lying still for 4 hours after the procedure (to prevent hematomas from the cardiac catheters. I was a little worried about being able to do this because I also have restless leg syndrome. But I explained this to my doc beforehand at my evaluation visit. They must have loaded me up with some good meds in recovery because I had no rls sx and was able to comfortably comply with being still. Take care and keep me posted. March is almost here. irina1975

[walker66]

Hi Andy, I had the device fitted in July 2016, as I can't take anti coagulants due to having 2 strokes. My first stroke was a clot so I was put on anti coagulants but then my 2nd stroke in 2016 was a bleed on the brain so they were stopped straight away. After this stroke my af and heart failure were diagnosed so the device was fitted pretty soon after this.

I had no problems with the device being fitted and have had no problems with it since (and hope to have none in the future)!

If anyone were to be offered this proceedure, I personally would jump at it, because at the very least it's another tablet you don't have to take!

Regards

Sharon

[Hidden in reply to walker66]

Hi Walker. Happy you've done so well post Watchman. It gives me even more security. I also received a pacemaker in Nov 2016 as part of a 'pace and ablate' procedure. Am doing well and now that I've got my Watchman, I've given them both names. LOL (It helps to have a sense of humor and besides all 3 of us are very close. )The pacemaker is "Seymour' and the Watchman is "Sydney". LOL. No I'm not crazy just a little to the left of normal. Take care. irina1975

[walker66 in reply to Hidden]

Hi Irina. I totally agree about the security the device gives you! I only wish that I'd had one fitted before my first stroke, which took all my left side away happened! Can't have everything I suppose!

Like you, later in 2016 I had the pace and ablate proceedure which was fine for 12 months and then due to my heart failure getting worse and my heart branch block getting worse also, I had my pacemaker removed and a biventricular pacemaker and difibrillator inserted! After the pain from this proceedure, if I had have names for the devices, I wouldn't be able to repeat them on here to you!!!! I did tell my granddaughter though when she was asking questions, that I had to have another heart because my old one was full with all the love I had for her, and I needed more room for more love for her, so she's been telling everyone that she broke my heart and I had to have another one!

I hope that all of our devices stay working well for years and years to come. Wishing you well in the future.

Sharon

[Hidden in reply to walker66]

Hi Sharon, I love what you told your granddaughter. I'll bet you laid some good groundwork about the need sometimes for medical care instead of planting what I call "fear seeds". We never know what medical help we may need down the road and I believe when and if this situation arises, it is philosophy we were taught when we were children and may have forgotten that rises to the surface and helps us handle physical challenges or not. I don't remember specific instances but somehow my mother buried in my psyche the idea of just getting on with it when sick. She was always caring and saw that we got everything we needed when sick but her matter-of-fact manner about illness has stood me in good stead through 40 years of nursing and now re making my own health decisions even when 'medical skirmishes' with various healthcaregivers come my way. I feel prepared to fight for what I feel is in my best interest medically. As my mother said many years ago when I first became a nurse, was working in the operating room and VERY intimidated by surgeons. Forgive my bluntness but my (adopted) mother was German and very direct! She said to me. "Doctors put their pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us.". I've often thought of this and inwardly laughed when surgeons were 'acting out'. I would think if they knew what I was thinking they would probably have a heart attack! LOL irina1975

[Angie06 in reply to walker66]

Hi Sharon , did you have yours fitted in the UK and if so which hospital were you in? I'm due to go into St Barts next month.

Angie

[walker66 in reply to Angie06]

Hi Angie. I did have mine fitted in the UK at the Royal Stoke University Hospital. I had to stay in overnight but that was probably the worst bit of the proceedure!

I truly hope that everything goes well for you, and it's amazing the difference that not having to be on anti coagulants makes.

Please keep me up to date, and big hugs from up here in snowy Stoke!

Sharon

[Angie06 in reply to walker66]

Thanks Sharon, it's nice to know that both you and Irina are doing so well with your devices and it's taken away some of my concerns. I'ma bit of a scaredy cat, shouldn't be after having 3 children, but hopefully all will go well and the worry of a stroke will diminish! I'll keep you posted but before then I've got a holiday to have so will be back in March for the op.

Angie 😀

[Angie06 in reply to walker66]

Hi Irina, just wondered how you got on with your TOE and whether your device has settled ok. Hope it all went well for you with the sedation. I'm due to have mine fitted on 21st Mar and feeling a bit nervous at the moment.

Angie

[Andyt36]

Thought it was an interesting device, - just wanted to see if anyone had some experience of it and had heard of it, after searching the forums i note that it has been mentioned before.