Any experiences with Watchman Implant for A-Fib?

What is the "formula" to determine whether or not a patient qualifies for a Watchman?

I'm having a very hard time to see if one would meet my need (seemingly infinitely researching) to avoid an oral anticoagulant to slow my movement towards central vision blindness caused by one. I have wet macular degeneration and whereas no, I don't want a stroke ("duh") I do not want to go blind which appears inevitable with this condition.

At the very least, I don't want to take a medicine (for paroxysmal) AFIB which statistically does hasten that condition thus maximizing my period of sightedness.

Talk to your cardiologist. They will give points based on your age, and health and medical information. They will also consider weather or not you can take blood thinners.

I have had A-fib for nearly 20 yrs. now and have taken blood thinners all that time, started with Coumadin and a few years ago my cardiologist put me on Xarelto. He recently put me in touch with a Watchman rep, who asked me several questions and then told me I did not qualify because I had been doing okay on Xarelto. I don’t like taking blood thinner but I don’t have a choice. Xarelto is better than warfarin I guess; I don’t have to be tested every month, but it is expensive. If I didn’t have insurance it would cost $900 per month. I am also on blood pressure med, and Valsartan to slow down my heart rate. Dr. says it should be under 100 bpm.
I am in A-fib all the time but it isn’t as bad or scary as it was in the beginning. Two of my brothers had A-fib, were older than I, now deceased, but they both had bypass surgeries before having A-fib; one quadruple and one quintuple. That is my story.

Don't you feel tired and short of breath being in Afib all the time?

Wish to answer the gentleman that just got the Watchman. I was diagnosed with AFib in 2014. At that time I was referred to a cardiology group in SLC who had been part of the research group for the Watchman. At that time they had done 126 placements without a problem. I was told I was the perfect patient with a Chad score of 7. I had never heard of the device ( I am a nurse) and since I was new to blood thinners (Xaralto) decided to wait. Well did not do well on the thinners, constant nose bleeds and discoloration of the lower legs as I am a very active person and any little bump on the leg would bruise permanently. So after 6 years of these disturbing circumstances - I said OK. By then the Doctors at Intermountain Health had done 530 without any problems. My course was problem free. One night in the hospital, on Plavix for 3 months then baby aspirin for maybe a year. The Cardiologists at Intermountain said not needed and so much to the unhappiness of my regular Cardiologist I have been blood thinner free for the last 31/2 years. I couldn't be happier. As I said I am very active, skiing, tennis, pickle ball,biking and gardening , It is wonderful not being at great risk if I fall doing one of my regular activities. I did hang up my skiis last year but still am involved in the rest. If you have 1/2 the success I had you will be very, very, pleased. If anyone has further questions contact this site and I will answer. I do recommend a Cardiology group with lots of experience.
Hope this helps
Katherine Coelho

I will be very happy to refer anyone to the doctor that put in my Watchman. He too was in on the ground floor and does many problem procedures . Mine went very easy. He is located in Austin, Texas.
I was very pleased reading your post and to see yours was a success too. My age is now 75 and not as active as I should be. I also anemic. My last hemoglobin test was 10 which is 5 points lower that two months before. I have another blood test coming up in two days. Hope it is stable now.

I was to have a watchman device implanted on Dec 22.2020. The procedure was a failure in that out of 3 devices, none would seal off the opening. Very disappointed in this. Surgeon said the rep from the makers told him they are coming out with newer devices that will be more flexable sometime in Feb, Mar, Apr timeframe. I am on the list to get one of those. The procedure itself was full of surprises for me. Please make sure you know what is going to happen in your procedure.

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?