Recent advancements in technology have helped patients receive less invasive treatments for serious heart conditions that in the past could only be treated with open heart surgery. Now, another one of those advancements is available at Intermountain Health Lutheran Hospital.
Intermountain Health cardiovascular surgeons offer a catheter-based procedure to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation. This is especially important for patients who have trouble taking blood thinners.
Jake Chanin, MD, said atrial fibrillation (AFib) is a heart rhythm abnormality that affects many people, especially those over the age of 65. An estimated 3 to 6 million people in the United States have AFib, and that number is expected to increase as the population ages.
During episodes of AFib, chaotic electrical signals in the upper heart chambers (atria) overwhelm the pacemaker of the heart, causing the atria to quiver and the lower heart chambers (ventricles) to beat fast and irregularly. Not all patients with AFib experience symptoms, but many people develop heart palpitations, weakness, fatigue, lightheadedness, shortness of breath, and chest pain.
“It’s important to identify people with AFib. The problems are two-fold. Patients may struggle with abnormal rhythm and be at higher risk for stroke,” said Dr. Chanin. According to the National Institutes of Health, the average person with AFib is five times more likely to suffer a stroke than someone with a normal heart rhythm, and approximately 1 in 4 strokes are a result of AFib. During an episode of AFib, blood can stagnate and form clots, which can then travel to the brain and cut off blood supply causing a serious stroke.
How to reduce stroke risk
Different treatments are available to reduce stroke. The most common approach is with medications to prevent blood clots. Anti-coagulants or blood thinners work well for many people.
“The challenge is AFib is a lifelong problem, and not everyone can take blood thinners long term,” Dr. Chanin said. Some patients experience bleeding complications on blood thinners, and others may be at risk of falling, which could cause traumatic bleeding. “We have also seen patients who have difficulty in obtaining or affording their blood thinners. If our patients have stopped their blood thinners or are not on them, they remain at risk of stroke.”
Physicians now can use a new device to reduce the risk of stroke in patients who are unable to take long-term blood thinners. The device, under the brand name WATCHMAN™, fits into a part of the left atrium and is designed to close the left atrial appendage and keep clots from escaping. This is a one-time procedure where a physician makes a small puncture in the leg, inserts a catheter, and implants the device in the left atrium. This procedure is done under general anesthesia and takes approximately one hour.
Visit IntermountainHealth.org to learn more about heart health.
