When my cardi first mentioned Watchman, I got on the internet and searched for all the information I could find. I am a person that wants to know everything I can learn about a procedure or medical condition I might have. There is a lot of info out there about the watchman.....all of it is basely the same. The official Watchman website has a lot written but does not really give that good of information. At least not what I was looking for. The official Watchman website is there for one thing only.....sell their product. I have read many write-ups from hospitals, clinics, etc about what the Watchman does and how it is supposed to work and very little about how it is put in a heart. I found ONE site that did say," if a watchman is installed, to remove it for any reason will require open heart surgery". Hmmmm...I don't recall reading that on the official Watchman website.
My first thought was "so, this thing only stops blood clots coming from LAA...I can still get a stroke from clots from other places Why bother getting the watchman." Then my cardi reminded me of how many AFIBs I was having. She said "every AFIB episode has the potential of causing a blood clot and stroke. My son and my neighbor had strokes and I saw first hand what it did to them. I do not want a stroke. If the watchman can stop just one stroke, it pays for itself. Some people will ask, how do you know if the device actually stopped a blood clot....plain simple answer is...you don't know.
Know and understand, really understand,.. the risks and possible benefits of having a Watchman procedure. There are risks with everything you do...I trust my cardi, my cardi trusts the surgeon so I will trust the surgeon knows what he is doing He has done hundreds of watchman installations. Some, like my first attempt, fail. This is not due to the surgeon, it is due to the size and location of the LAA or some other reason the surgeon feels he can not safely complete the install.

As for me, it was MY decision to get the Watchman. I decided based on all the information I could find on my own and what my cardi gave me. My cardi did NOT push me into going ahead with the procedure. She gave me the best advice she could based on my health and heart conditions. I trust my cardi and her words carried most of the weight. So, talk to your cardi. If the watchman is not right for you, your cardi should say so. If in doubt get a second opinion from an independent cardi from a hospital/clinic not related to the one your cardi is in. \

If the next attempt of installing a watchman fails, I will do the ablation route. Ablation sure was not my first choice based on my research. Again, getting this procedure should be YOUR decision. Talk to your family and friends, listen to your cardi team and do your research.

I hope this will help quell some questions and fears about the watchman.