We are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience. To do so, we are actively working with consultants to update the website by increasing its accessibility and usability by persons who use assistive technologies
such as automated tools, keyboard-only navigation, and screen readers.
We are working to have the website conform to the relevant standards of the Section 508 Web Accessibility Standards developed by the United States Access Board, as
well as the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1. These standards and guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities. We believe that conformance with these standards and
guidelines will help make the website more user friendly for all people.
Our efforts are ongoing. While we strive to have the website adhere to these guidelines and standards, it is not always possible to do so in all areas of the website.
If, at any time, you have specific questions or concerns about the accessibility of any particular webpage, please contact WebsiteAccess@tenethealth.com so that we may be of assistance.
A One-Time Implant that Helps Reduce AFib Stroke Risk
How Does AFib Increase Stroke Risk?
The average person with atrial fibrillation (also called AFib or AF) is five times more likely to have a stroke than someone with a regular heartbeat.1 That’s because AFib can decrease the heart’s pumping capacity by as much
as 30%.2 Because blood isn’t pumped out of the heart normally, it’s easier for blood cells to stick together and form clots in an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA).2, 3 When a blood clot
escapes from the LAA and travels to another part of the body, it can cut off the blood supply to the brain, causing a stroke.1, 4
In people with atrial fibrillation not caused by heart valve problems (the most common type of AFib), more than 90% of stroke-causing clots that come from the heart are formed in the LAA.3
An Alternative to Blood Thinners
If you have a history of bleeding or a lifestyle, occupation or condition that puts you at risk for bleeding, your doctor may consider an alternative to blood thinners, such as the WATCHMAN Implant.
WATCHMAN is a permanent implant that offers an alternative to the lifelong use of blood thinners. It’s about the size of a quarter and made from very light and compact materials commonly used in many other medical implants.
How WATCHMAN Works
WATCHMAN effectively reduces the risk of stroke by permanently closing off the LAA to keep blood clots from escaping. WATCHMAN can eliminate the bleeding risks and regular blood tests and food-and-drink restrictions that come with warfarin. In a clinical trial, 9 out of 10 people were able to stop taking warfarin just 45 days after the WATCHMAN procedure.5
How is WATCHMAN Implanted?
WATCHMAN is implanted into your heart in a one-time procedure. To implant WATCHMAN, your doctor:
Makes a small cut in your upper leg
Inserts a narrow tube, as done in a standard stent procedure
Then guides WATCHMAN into your heart’s LAA
The procedure is done under general anesthesia and takes about an hour. Patients commonly stay in the hospital overnight and leave the next day.
Sources
1. National Stroke Association. Making the Afib-Stroke Connection. https://www.stroke.org/sites/default/files/resources/Afib-Connection%20for%20hcp.pdf. Published 2012. Accessed September 1, 2016.
2. Harvard Health Publications. Atrial fibrillation. http://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/atrial-fibrillation-common-serious-treatable. Harvard University Medical School. Published November 2011. Accessed August 25, 2016. 3.
Blackshear JL, Odell JA. Appendage obliteration to reduce stroke in cardiac surgical patients with atrial fibrillation. Ann Thorac Surg.
1996;61:755-759. 4.
Cleveland Clinic. Atrial fibrillation (Afib). http://my.clevelandclinic.org/services/heart/disorders/arrhythmia/atrial-fibrillation-afib. Published May 2015. Accessed August 25, 2016. 5.
Holmes DR Jr, Kar S, Price MJ, et al. Prospective randomized evaluation of the Watchman Left Atrial Appendage Closure device in patients with atrial fibrillation versus long-term warfarin therapy: the PREVAIL trial. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;64(1):1-12.
"This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page and plays an embedded YouTube video. Pressing the Close Modal button at the bottom of the modal or pressing the Escape key will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.
"This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page and plays an embedded YouTube video. Pressing the Close Modal button at the bottom of the modal or pressing the Escape key will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page.