COLLEGE STATION, Texas — According to the CDC, by 2030, 12.1 million will have atrial fibrillation, or AFib, the most common type of heart arrhythmia.
An arrhythmia is when the heart beats too slowly, too fast, or in an irregular way.
BSW DO, Bao Le, explained, “The blood doesn’t flow normally because your heart beats so fast so when your heart can’t flow normal it can become stagnate and form a blood clot.”
The risk for AFib increases with age and with high blood pressure. Living with AFib and on blood thinners often leaves people feeling restricted, but the Watchman procedure, a non-invasive alternative to blood thinners, changes that.
“Once the device is planted and it seals that pouch people don’t have to be on blood thinner. Once it’s implanted it will allow people to get off of the blood thinner," Le said.
For one patient who works in the construction business, his own heart health became an important topic with his doctor, leading him to the Watchman procedure.
“The issue with the blood thinner is bleeding if I cut myself, I bleed for 15 minutes The Watchmen procedure provided an alternative to that," patient Terry Sperling said. "Once the procedure is done and you’re healed you get off the blood thinners and just the peace of mind of it and realizing maybe I might live a little longer that’s always a plus.”
This month, Baylor Scott & White in College Station celebrated the completion of 100 Watchman procedures.
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