Crouse Health begins using Watchman cardiovascular device to treat AFib patients

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Crouse Hospital announced it is using the Watchman Device to help treat patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib), a common heart-rhythm disorder.

The Watchman is a “minimally invasive implant” that serves as an “alternative” to long-term, blood-thinner therapy for patients with AFib, Crouse Health said in a news release.

Crouse claims it is the first hospital in Central New York to use the device, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved.

Boston Scientific Corp. makes the Watchman Device.

AFib is the cause of about 20 percent of strokes, “which can be devastating and costly to individuals and families,” Dr. Joseph Battaglia, medical director for Crouse’s cardiac-care services, said.

“The Watchman implant provides physicians with a breakthrough stroke-risk reduction option for patients with non-valvular AFib, especially those who are poor candidates for long-term anticoagulation medication,” he said.

The new alternative to stroke-risk reduction involves implanting the small, parachute-shaped device in the heart rather than the use of medication therapy.

The doctor implants the Watchman by accessing the heart through a vein in the leg “using a non-surgical approach.”

The device changes the internal shape of the heart, making it resistant to clot formation, Battaglia noted.

The procedure takes one to two hours, “is painless,” and the majority of patients are discharged from the hospital the following day “with immediate return to full function.”

Scar tissue forms around the device over time, “permanently closing off” the left atrial appendage.

“This new therapy can lower the risk of stroke to benefit many patients in Central New York who are not considered optimal candidates for blood thinners and we are pleased to be the first in the area to be able to offer this advanced treatment,” said Battaglia.

Stroke protection

Studies have shown that the Watchman device offers these patients “as much protection from stroke as blood thinners, such as warfarin,” according to the Crouse news release.

About 5 million people in the U.S. suffer from AFib, which occurs when the upper and lower chambers of the heart stop beating in harmony.

Instead, the upper chambers beat irregularly and stop moving blood through and out of the heart.

When this occurs, blood clots are likely to form in an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA).

The LAA is the size of a thumb and looks like a small pouch near the top of the heart. Blood clots can break loose from the LAA and travel to the brain, lungs and other parts of the body, causing a stroke.

The Watchman implant is designed to stop clots from leaving that area of the heart.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com