Watchman Implant Gives Winemaker Cause To Celebrate
Within within two weeks I could feel the difference. It’s an incredible feeling.
[HEART BEAT]
NARRATOR: When the heart begins to have an irregular heart
beat, we call it an arrhythmia.
One of the most common arrhythmias
is called atrial fibrillation or AFib.
To get a better idea of what's happening
in the heart with AFib, imagine the heart as a dam.
Its job is to keep the flow of water at a steady pace.
But if it's only pumping water half the time it's supposed to,
there's going to be too much water
on the wrong side of the dam.
This is essentially what's happening to the heart.
When blood begins to pool in the heart due to its inconsistent
pumping, much of the blood sits in an area called
the left atrial appendage.
This can lead to the formation of clots,
which can cause a stroke.
Conventionally, what we've done to treat atrial fibrillation
is use strong blood thinners.
And while those blood thinners have been a treatment
historically, they can lead to potentially serious side
effects.
Fortunately, in the last couple of years,
a technology has become available to allow patients
an alternative to blood thinners.
This alternative is called the Watchman implant device.
The procedure to implant the Watchman device
only takes about 30 minutes.
It's performed entirely through a small catheter inserted
through the leg or groin.
The catheter transports the device
to the heart, where surgeons place it
in the left atrial appendage.
Then the procedure is done.
Most people are able to leave the hospital the next day.
Over the next six weeks, your body
will form a layer of tissue over the implant.
And once the device is confirmed to be in a good position,
you'll be able to get off blood thinners
for the rest of your life.
The Sutter Health Network has made
it possible to deliver the Watchman technology to patients
throughout Northern California.
Our vast network of hospitals and cardiovascular surgeons
provide advanced heart care near you
so you don't have to travel to get
this life-changing treatment.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
After Harry Parsley started taking blood thinners to manage his atrial fibrillation (AFib), he unfortunately experienced one of the medication’s worst side effects: a brain bleed, or minor stroke.
“The biggest concern I had at any moment was that I could have had a stroke,” he says. “I was under continuous threat every single day, and I felt like it would be that way forever.”
Harry and his wife, Ellen, met with a cardiologist at Sutter to learn about the Watchman™ implant, a tiny plug that’s placed inside the heart’s left atrial appendage to prevent stroke-causing blood clots from traveling to the brain.
“[The surgeon at Sutter] instilled very high confidence in both of us … and before we left [the appointment], we had made the decision” to get the implant.
Following the one-hour, minimally invasive procedure and a single night in the hospital, Harry soon experienced the Watchman’s benefits.
“They took me off the blood thinners, and within a couple of weeks I could feel the difference,” he says. “It’s an incredible feeling. I can live my life fully now with the people I love to live it with. This has been the most important and probably best decision I could have ever made.”
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