POST-WATCHMAN report. June 28th, I just had my post Watchman TEE. The results were excellent. The device made a perfect seal in the LAA. There was no sign of any leaking at all. The healing process was also rated as perfect. I am to continue on my Eliquis for another 2 months and then I can stop. The doctor was very happy with my results as was I. This has been a bit of a rough road for me for the last 3 years, but it has all paid off now. It was worth it.
Hats off to Dr Horton at TCAI, his entire staff and the hospital for all they have done for me. Wonderful people.
Can't rate the hospital food very high but the nurses were great.
I have had no problems with the Watchman so far.

POST WATCHMAN FLX TEE RESULTS

Here is the final report on my post watchman flx device TEE.

Study Result
REPORT TYPE: ECHOCARDIOGRAM DIS DATE: 06/28/21
DATE OF STUDY: 06/28/2021
INDICATIONS:
A 74-year-old male status post Watchman device with a history of GI bleeding.
The study is being performed in order to assess the status of the device itself.

PROCEDURE PERFORMED:
Transesophageal echocardiogram with color flow, and spectral Doppler imaging.

SEDATION:
Conscious sedation provided by anesthesia that was present in and around the
entire procedure without complication.

PROCEDURAL NOTE:
After informed consent, a bite block is administered. An Omniplane probe is
passed down into the stomach with retrograde pullback. The results of the study
are as follows:
1. Preserved left ventricular size and function with no segmental wall motion
abnormalities or masses noted. Estimated ejection fraction 60%.
2. Mitral valve leaflets are mildly thickened with normal motion. There was
mild to moderate mitral valve insufficiency with a central regurgitant jet.
3. Moderate left atrial enlargement with no thrombus identified.
4. Left atrial appendage is thrombosed. There is a Watchman device that has
been appropriately placed. There is no evidence of peri-Watchman leak noted in
multiple viewpoints.
5. Interatrial septum is somewhat difficult to see with no evidence of PFO
noted.
6. Right atrium of normal size.
7. Tricuspid valve structurally intact with mild insufficiency (tricuspid valve
hard to see).
8. Right ventricle of normal size and function.
9. Pulmonic valve structurally intact.
10. The aortic valve is trileaflet, mildly sclerotic with mild aortic valve
insufficiency.
11. No pericardial effusion.
12. Normal proximal aortic root.

SUMMARY:
1. Preserved left ventricular function.
2. Mild-to-moderate mitral valve insufficiency.
3. Status post Watchman procedure intact with no evidence of thrombus or
peri-Watchman leak.
4. No pericardial effusion

I will be seeing the surgeon on Monday and be making the decision whether to have the watchman implanted or not.

My doctor said I will need the Watchman Device but I see a lot of negative information. I even read some believe there weren't enough studies done. This is my situation...So my Cardiologist got the report from my heart monitor that I had to wear for 2 weeks. They noticed I have PAC’s & PVC’s. Did not explain what that means. He wants to take me off Bisoprolol 10mg/ day & put me on Sotalol 80mg/day??? He’s the guy that wants to possibly do an ablation & told me not to go to the gym anymore because I’m working my heart too hard. PVS’s are premature ventricular contractions and PAS’s are premature atrial contractions, it’s not good. I am suppose do whatever he says. Your heart is basically tripping over itself trying to keep up. I am just wondering if the Watchman has been out lon enough to have better reviews?

This is what bothers me, the Watchman is fairly new, does it really work???

What is it?

I'm anxious to get off oral anticoagulants, but I've found it difficult to get wholly unbiased information about the Watchman device. The company is SO aggressive about marketing it it colors most of the presentation online. (And no wonder, as it seems to be their BIGTIME moneymaker.)

I gather things have improved since they began implanting it, and I hope so as there appear to have been a number of "adverse events" in the beginning. Also surgeons became more experienced in performing the procedure.

Could you please describe some of the "surprises" you (author) encountered in the procedure?

I just got off the phone with my son, and we were mostly discussing this procedure and the info I was collecting about the experience itself - your info in particular. Now you've given me even more to psych myself up for! Thank you. As I recall your first op didn't succeed because the device didn't fit (and you had to wait for new sizes to come out?).

It's both good and bad that we're having these things done when we are. The very first patients were kind of guinea pigs if only because the surgeons were new at it. Now they're better, especially the ones who specialize (just found one an hour away). I HAD hoped the Cleveland Clinic docs and staff might have a more fine-tuned way of attending to patient comfort to the extent possible, even if it isn't a 5 star hotel! Plenty of warm blankets post-op if needing them then is expectable, seems like a basic.

The pain (inevitable and possibly extra if one's situation leads to it) is more daunting than when I just went by the la-de-da version presented on the Watchman web page, but at least I don't have to worry about embarrassing erections LOL! (Ha, I remembered). The insertion of the catheter in the femoral vein (possibly both sides - hope not!) , the post op cold, the nudity, and urinary retention - considering my special problems - are not pleasant prospects. I'll ask for accommodations in advance, though, thanks to your advice (THE WARM BLANKETS. especially. Also, catheters.)

Still wondering about the Cleveland Clinic especially as the more I think about it, the more I think my cardiologist is (however nice) sub-par, and that I need a thorough cardiac work up. My sibs and I inherited cardiac problems (I thought until recently, it was almost exclusively a lipid disorder), but as we age I am identifying more areas in need of supervision. One of my two brothers died suddenly in his sleep a year ago, and that certainly gave both survivors food for thought about our self-care including the best possible cardiologists. My brother's in a good area (Sarasota FL) but my rural PA area is definitely "medically underserved" . I think it would be a good idea to have a better going over heart-wise. even though the other certified surgeons would probably get me through alive. I had a 9 hour spinal surgery six years ago, and I decided to go with the head of the spinal clinic at the NY Hospital for Special Surgery - supposedly the best orthopedic hospital in the nation. (That was after eight consults!). He made rather a hash of it (looking into revision surgery elsewhere), so I know the biggest names aren't necessarily a guarantee of the best results.

May I ask where you had your Watchman implanted? My son thought you must have had an especially bad experience perhaps owing to where you went, but I said I had the feeling you were just "telling it like it was", not that it was unusually rough treatment. (Just remembered another thing I need to check out thoroughly - insurance. You DID say the cost of the failed first op had cost ~$176K and still counting? I may be mixing up replies on CONNECT. I have Medicare + Medigap Plan F (no longer available) but I'd better dot my I's and cross my T's there too.

Many thanks again for your kind efforts to prepare me. Somehow I'm getting almost as psyched up to it, as before the spinal operation though the frequency of serious side effects from that are known to be much greater. (I believe about 300,000 patients have acquired Watchmen, with a total of ~300 deaths resulting.).

Sorry all for going on so! Perhaps I took your invitation too literally.

Thank you again, @phoenix1647 As I read through your prompt reply, it seems to yield the same six visits I got counted after talking to a nurse at the nearby (an hour) surgeon's office: 1). consult 2) testing 3) TEE 4) Watchman procedure 5) TEE either right before or. after the procedure to make sure there are no clots 6) some kind of check-up after ~45 days to ensure the device has been sealed in by new cardiac tissue .

Of course, that presumes no complications or need for additional testing.

As I said before, that's not even counting post-op check-ups (6 months, after one year and thereafter annually.)
Distance is a super major problem for me for out of town procedures (and for anything remotely complex that's necessary) . I've traveled three hours driving alone (not counting anything where I've had anesthesia). If I can't make it alone, I need to pay for travel expenses (airfare, taxis, hotels and possibly hiring drivers). And as a singleton, I also need post-op help for recuperation (unless I can go to a rehab center.).

That major spinal operation (9 hours) involved numerous trips before and after the actual surgery and the auxiliary expenses mentioned above added up to a LOT even though insurance covered all the actual medical part. (As I said, I had 8 consults to choose the surgeon as the operation is so dangerous.
That was about the same distance from home (NYC). The older I get, the harder it becomes to travel to another location. After all, my only problem isn't. AFIB.

I. certainly regret moving to this location because of the lack of quality medical care. At least, one son has been there for every surgery (the surgery itself) but one - knee joint replacement. -. I managed that entirely alone.

I suspected the Cleveland Clinic would be hard for me and now I'm thinking it's probably not going to happen because of all the visits required. I see there are three specialists there who perform the Watchman and even though their reviews were stellar, all patients commented on having had to wait a LONG time to see the surgeon. Three months on average - and even the local surgeon can't fit me in for two months for the consult. Meanwhile (confession), I've stopped taking Xarelto owing to fear of the other disease which is aggravated by oral anticoagulants.

Specifically, I was recently diagnosed with "wet" macular degeneration, an incurable blinding eye disease.. It involves. small, fragile capillaries growing into the retina and leaking - the blood scars your macula and destroys your central vision bit by bit. Naturally, I don't want to accelerate this process by taking a blood thinner which effectively turns me into a hemophiliac! FWIW. all this research has been done on my own.

What fun - choose between a stroke or blindness (and besides, strokes themselves often lead to blindness)! But oral blood thinners carry risks too, besides which they can make hemorrhagic strokes immediately deadly - extra likely for anyone like me who's a fall risk. (Thank YOU - sarcasm - spinal surgeon!). Besides, other things can lead to ischemic strokes (AFIB is behind only ~ 15%), and apart from my age (75) and gender, I'm pretty OK in those regards: normal BP, weight and regular aerobic exercise.
Aging is NO FUN especially when you can't count on decent medical care to soften the blows!

Hi-- Brand new to this group (today!) and trying to navigate. I'm an 83 yo techno-nerd. I have heart failure and was recently told, VIA echo, that I have leaking heart valves. Further TEE shows I have a heart blood clot, so no operating procedures can be performed. I'm very confused. Can anyone help me sort this all out?