Experimental Heart Device Shows Promise, Risk
A new experimental device to treat atrial fibrillation had mixed results in a recent study but still shows promise as a treatment option, the Associated Press reports. The Watchman is the first device designed to permanently treat atrial fibrillation, a heart condition in which blood stagnates in a small pouch called the left atrial appendage. Clots can form and travel to the brain, eventually causing a stroke. The study found that the Watchman device was as good at preventing stroke as blood-thinning drugs Coumadin or warfarin. However, the procedure to implant the Watchman led to strokes in some patients. Complications, including fluid buildup around the heart, were two times higher compared to warfarin. The Watchman device, designed by Atritech, is an expandable cage that blocks clots from entering the bloodstream. It is implanted in the heart via a catheter inserted into a leg vein.
Warfarin is typically used to treat AF, but the drug has significant drawbacks. Finding the right dose is tricky (too much causes bleeding), the medication frequently interacts with other drugs and foods, and patients have to be closely monitored. Although the Watchman device caused twice as many complications as warfarin in the study, these problems declined as the study progressed, suggesting that doctors improved their technique as they gained experience with the device. The FDA has scheduled an expert panel to review the Watchman in late April. If the device is approved, doctors and patients will have to decide whether the upfront risks associated with implanting it are better than the ongoing risks associated with warfarin, a Duke doctor told the AP.
One Response to “Experimental Heart Device Shows Promise, Risk”
Leave a Reply
My brother saw something on tv about a device that was described as a “parachute” that would prevent clots from leaving the heart. Mike Griggs is 52 and a single man, a truck driver that went to the Dr office Friday 5/15/09. He presented with a rate of 189 and somewhat normal blood pressure. A Cath showed no blockages and his heart is working at 30 to 35% . He is currently on cumadin and today the level is 1.6. He is not obese and has a positive outlook although I doubt he fully understands the severity of his disease. We have 4 cousins – all male- and a brother that suffers from severe heart problems and one of them had a transplant 4 years ago at the age of 53. Help will be appreciated with any advice as to the route to take from here. Thanks Carol Hamby