If you read it this paragraph did not make sense to me:
Key one-year clinical events adjudicated by the independent Clinical Events Committee included: Ischemic stroke rate of 2.9% per year (29 events in 27 patients) versus a predicted rate of 6.7 percent; and, device-related thrombus rate of 1.7 percent (18 events in 17 patients). In patient population at high risk for stroke – and major bleeding the need for blood-thinning medication was reduced.
Just read the article. Most of it made sense. Apparently Amplatzer might soon be available in the US and will be competition for the Watchman. Interesting. But the above paragraph sounds like gobbledygook to me. Sounds scientific, says nothing meaningful, IMO.
Is everything going all right for you since your procedure ?
Yes,thank you, Smooth as glass. No postop pain or problems. Everything went on schedule-procedure Jan 15, Post TEE/TOE Mar 6-totally healed so Warfarin d/c'd, Started on Plavix and Baby aspirin. Will d/c those July 29 then Done. Some of my side effects from the Coumadin are already improved. I feel I am almost home free. No cardiac sx. Not even a sore throat from anesthesia. The worst part was the hospital food! LOL irina
I thought that hospital food was just a British problem !!!. At the Brighton hospital the food is brought from Wales. You are being kept on drugs much longer that I was. I stopped Warfarin right away and took Plavix for a month and baby aspirin for six months.
This report raised concern on thrombus forming on some patients devices in the early days that you are now past.
medscape.com/viewarticle/89...
I agree. I think our surgeons here are being a little overly cautious. The protocol my surgeon likes actually have patients staying on the baby aspirin indefinitely even after the Plavix is d/c'd. I talked to him about wanting off even the aspirin and he agreed I could do this. I think down the road the post op meds will be d/c'd earlier. An "abundance of caution" is a popular catch-phrase in the states, especially if possible litigation could be involved down the road.! I usually do what I think best. Most of my docs know I do my research and that I always level with them if I don't think their reasoning is helpful for me. And aspirin is also not a harmless drug.
Also I had to have a TEE(TOE) a month after before stopping the Warfarin. The device was completely covered by new cells by then so I think they felt safe stopping the meds. Actually it was 6 weeks. Did you have to have a TOE?
Stroke Risk, Aspirin or Anticoagulant?
Peer-Reviewed report by Dr Wolf (Wolf Mini Maze).
Explaining stroke risk from CHADsVASC score
