Watchman Procedure

[Jjda]

Has anybody here had, or considered, the Watchman procedure, which is being billed as the "permanent" solution to Afib? I am curious to discover if anyone has done it, considered it, discussed it with their EP?

[Oldiemoldy]

Check out Dr. John Mandrola. He is a well known USA EP based in Louisville Ky. Writes both for med journals and public. So far he is very very skeptical if the Watchman procedure.

[seasider18 in reply to Oldiemoldy]

Is his scepticism not now rather updated ?

[Oldiemoldy in reply to seasider18]

He just reiterated his skepticism last week.!plug Dr. John Mandrola into your browser. You will get to his site and blog eventually

[seasider18 in reply to Oldiemoldy]

Can you post the link to make it easier for us to find.

I read yesterday that the UK student members of the Flat Earth Society are having a gathering of over 200 members in Brighton. Some people never accept new thought

[Oldiemoldy in reply to seasider18]

drjohnm.org

[seasider18 in reply to Oldiemoldy]

Thank you.

"This is not surprising since the Watchman is a foreign body left in the heart"

So is a mechanical aortic valve.

[Hidden]

I thought it just reduced the risk of stroke. It's certainly not a solution to AF

[Hidden]

You could try searching health unlocked. I believe there are very few in the the UK who have had this done, but at least one in the US, who has written in detail about her experience.

[BobD Volunteer]

Watchman is not a solution to AF, just a supposedly permanent solution for stroke risk in AF. Here in UK it is not available on NHS . There were trials a year or so back but these were terminated early.

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

do you know why, Bob?

[wilsond in reply to Hidden]

Cost is £20,000 as opposed to anti coagulation costs..??..but actually if you think about it,as I'm fairly young,59 and been on Apixaban a couple of years already,the lifetime cost of anticoagulant is probably higher!

Maybe another reason but don't know what

[seasider18 in reply to wilsond]

When I was first interested in Watchman about five years ago it was about £15K at London Bridge hospital and the Harley Street Clinic. I did not proceed at the time as I was about to have a pacemaker fitted. By then the Amplatzer amululet was being trialled at ten UK hospitals and it seemed a better option. I applied to get on the trials but missed out so had it fitted privately in Brighton at a cost of around £10K. I did not like Warfarin and NOACs are contra indicated due to my tissue aortic valve.

One poster went in to have a Watchman fitted but woke up with an Amplatzer as there was not a Watchman device that fitted her LAA. Amplatzer has a wider range of sizes.

everydayhealth.com/sanjay-g...

The American Sanjay.

[BobD Volunteer in reply to Hidden]

wish I did Mike

[Hidden in reply to BobD]

Thanks both

[seasider18 in reply to BobD]

Is there a link to the termination of the trial ?

It has been a successful and on going procedure but sadly mainly done privately as the NHS put a moratorium on funding for it two years ago and the even better Amplatzer amulet. My surgeon had hoped that funding had only been restricted until this year but having had the Amplatzer fitted privately I have not searched for news on what has since happened. Certainly several more similar procedures are now around as the market is expanding.

[stopper in reply to BobD]

The trials started again in Nov 2018 but there are certain requirements to be met

[wilsond]

There is a person on here that had it done,if you put Watch man in the search box you may find her. Irina xxx

[Dawsonmackay]

My EP said that I was not a candidate for that procedure. He said that ablation was a better course and much less risk.

[walker66]

Hi, I had the watchman proceedure carried out here in England in 2016 after having 2 strokes. 1 was a clot and so put on anti coagulants and then I had a bleed so could no longer take anti coagulants. I have af and heart failure also, and no longer have to take any oral anti coagulants. The proceedure was carried out to reduce the risk of any further stokes happening, I think!

[Ianc2]

I have seen a report that implied that the atrial appendage may have a role in the heart's management of high blood pressure and that more research is required.