Clintinfo - Preventing Stroke Without Blood Thinners

Sanjay Gupta, MD, Everyday Health: We have a new tool in preventing one of the most common causes of stroke. People who have a form of irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation are at far higher risk of stroke — five times higher than the rest of us. But until now, we’ve had few options in reducing that risk.

John Kocevar: Atrial fibrillation hit me one day when I was out raking leaves, and I didn’t find it real pleasant.

Dr. Gupta: At 81 years old, John Kocevar is still not ready to enjoy retirement. He works a full-time job.

John Kocevar: There’ll be a day that I’m going to join my wife in retirement, and we’re going to go out and have some fun. But I’ve got to stay busy.

Dr. Gupta: Until recently, the only option for people like John was to put them on a lifetime regimen of blood thinners.

During atrial fibrillation, the blood isn’t circulating properly, so it can pool inside the heart and form clots. If one of those clots lodges in the brain, it causes a stroke. Blood thinners reduce the risk, but they come with their own risks.

John Kocevar: Over the years, the blood thinners served me well. But as you get older, the doctor was concerned about the fact that I had some falls.

Dr. Gupta: Even minor accidents like falls can be very dangerous for people on blood thinners. That’s why one of the first questions they ask you in the emergency room is if you’re taking one. But until recently, there was no other option for people in John’s situation.

Then last year, the FDA approved this device — a tiny mesh basket that literally traps clots inside the heart before they can escape and do damage. It's placed over a sort of pouch off the heart called the left atrial appendage. That’s the region where clots are most likely to form.

The device, called the Watchman, is inserted by threading it through a catheter from the groin, so recovery is quick. Eventually, heart tissue grows over the implant. John had the device implanted at the Cleveland Clinic.

John Kocevar: I don’t know it’s there. All I know is that it’s there to protect me against stroke.

Dr. Gupta: The device is not for everyone, but it’s a long-awaited new tool in combatting this very common cause of stroke. With Everyday Health, I’m Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Be well.