Watchman.

[Jancam1]

Has anyone had the watchman installed? I am considering it.

[Buffafly]

If you do a search (top right) you will hopefully find some posts about it, someone wrote a miniblog, Irene or Irena, can't remember who!

[Hidden in reply to Buffafly]

Its Hidden who has a Watchman.

[Ianc2]

May I suggest that you research the role of the atrial appendage. As always there are several points of view, the most common being that this is a gathering place for clots. There is however a newly emerging counter view that this appendage has a role in moderating blood pressure - but I can't find the source of that report.

[seasider18 in reply to Ianc2]

Strangely since having had my Amplatzer amulet fitted in April 2017 my BP has been much lower and I now no longer take Losartan. However I have not found any studies that show a connection between the LAA and hypertension.

A month after it was fitted my EP did an echocardiogram to confirm that it was well seated and that no thrombus had formed. This week I had my annual echo to check on my replaced aortic valve and I asked the person doing it to look at my Amplatzer. She told me that the LAA does not show up on echocardiograms !

[walker66]

Hi Jancam1, I have the watchman fitted in 2016, so if you have any questions that I may be able to help you with, please feel free to ask.

[Jancam1 in reply to walker66]

Was getting the watchman beneficial to you? Any regrets?

[walker66 in reply to Jancam1]

Hi jancam1, I've had no regrets about having the watchman fitted. I couldn't take any anti coagulants because I've had 2 strokes and the second one was a bleed on the brain. As I was only 46 at the time it has prevented any further bleeds or clots! I've had no side effects from it and pray that I don't have! I also noticed that other people say that their blood pressure had been lowered due to the procedure but mine is still as high as it was beforehand. I can honestly say that I was fine throughout the whole procedure and healed quickly afterwards, and now I wouldn't even know it was there ( except for remembering that I don't need to take that extra tablet)! Good luck in whatever you decide to do, and please keep me informed.

Best wishes, Sharon.

[Jancam1 in reply to walker66]

Did you have to take a blood thinner after the procedure for a few weeks? I had 2 bleed's but still have to take Coumadin for 6 weeks

[walker66 in reply to Jancam1]

If I remember rightly, I had to take Clopidigrel for 1 week afterwards as I was part of a study on the device. I had to have blood tests on day 1,3,5,7 and then 14 to see if the device was effective. I still have regular consultations with the team leading the survey. I assume that you do not live in the UK because funding has been stopped at the moment for this procedure here.

[Jancam1 in reply to walker66]

Yes I do live in the us.

[seasider18]

Which country are you in? If it is the UK the NHS are not funding it or the Amplatzer amulet at the present time.

The Amplatzer has a wider range of sizes and one poster expecting a Watchman woke up to find that she had an Amplatzer fitted as none of the Watchman devices would fit her LAA.

My research found that the Amplatzer procedure was considerably cheaper than the Watchman. That may have been partly due London prices against provincial ones.

[Ianc2]

I had something that look suspiciously like a clothes peg clamped on my atrial appendage during surgery. On looking at the xray I said " how are you going to get that of"?. He smiled, as if greatly amused, and said " We are not. Consider it a lifetime gift".

[mjames1]

I've read that the Watchman itself causes a certain per cent of clots often requiring thinners post Watchman which seems to defeat the whole purpose of the device. I'd do more research and not a bad idea to consult with a doctor/ group/institution not doing Watchman to get a more rounded opinion. A lot of cardios and EPs are not Watchman fans.

Jim

[Jlaine]

I agree that you may be right about cardios not big on Watchmans.??!!I mentioned it to my Dr and she said "oh now you want to get that" chuckled and moved on with another topic! I research things like most afib pts do and I sometimes think my Drs resent it at times but I wouldn"t know or understand anything if I didn't as they pretty much keep you in the dark. Not much information or explanation is given to me most of the time. Have to ask specifics to get it out of them.