Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is a type of heart rhythm problem (arrhythmia) that causes the heart to quiver rather than beat normally. This causes blood to accumulate in the heart, which can lead to a blood clot and a stroke.

People with AFib are usually prescribed blood-thinning medicines (anticoagulants) to prevent blood clots from forming. But blood thinners can increase the risk of bleeding, and certain medicines taken along with them can affect how well they work. For some, the risks of taking blood thinners long term are significant.

WATCHMAN™ Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Device placement can provide life-changing treatment for some people with AFib. Cardiovascular surgeons implant the device in the heart to close off a small pouch called the left atrial appendage — the source of more than 90 percent of stroke-causing blood clots in people with AFib.

Hackensack Meridian Health offers patients this advanced option to prevent stroke at both of our academic medical centers, right here in New Jersey. Our academic medical centers are at the heart of a network of community hospitals that offer cardiovascular diagnosis, cardiac rehabilitation and follow-up services that bring expert care conveniently close to home. Patients benefit from leading heart care expertise and services in a single, integrated network.

Stroke Prevention With Better Results

Long-term follow-up studies of patients who had WATCHMAN device implantation showed the device offered a similar stroke risk reduction and superior reductions of hemorrhagic stroke, disabling stroke and cardiovascular death compared to warfarin, a blood thinning medicine.

Who Is a Candidate for the WATCHMAN LAAC Device?

People with AFib that is not caused by a heart valve problem, called nonvalvular AFib, and cannot take blood thinners long term, may benefit from the WATCHMAN device.

What to Expect During the Procedure

The WATCHMAN device is a permanent implant placed in the heart using a minimally invasive, one-time procedure — the device doesn’t need to be replaced.

It requires a small puncture in the upper thigh where a flexible, hollow tube called a catheter is inserted and guided into the heart with the help of advanced imaging technology. Once the catheter is in place, surgeons implant the WATCHMAN device in the left atrial appendage.

Patients receive general anesthesia to put them to sleep during the hour-long procedure. Most patients stay overnight in the hospital and can go home the next day.