Key Concepts
As we age many of us will experience a-fib — an irregular heartbeat that can cause strokes.
A-fib patients often must take blood thinners for the rest of their lives — forcing them to live with unpleasant side effects.
A device called Watchman protects a-fib patients from strokes, while eliminating the need to take blood thinners.
Cardiologists at Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital implant Watchman in a-fib patients using a minimally invasive procedure that enables them to go home the next day.
Nancy Honert and her husband
“I suddenly wasn’t feeling very good, and I was experiencing pressure and a little pain in my chest,” recalled Nancy Honert of Sturtevant. The 81-year-old wife, mother, and grandmother knew something wasn’t right. “At Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital, they confirmed that I had atrial fibrillation — more commonly known as a-fib. They quickly returned my heart to its normal rhythm and prescribed blood thinners for me to take.”
Dr. Amin Rmeileh, interventional cardiologist at Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital
“A-fib is the most common type of heart arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat,” said Dr. Amin Rmeileh, an interventional cardiologist and one of Honert’s physicians at Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital. “1 out of 4 people who reach the age of 80 will experience a-fib. By 2030, 6 million Americans will have this condition.”
“A-fib patients have five times the risk of suffering a stroke because the condition can cause a blood clot to form in a little pouch in their heart,” Dr. Rmeileh said. “In the past these patients had to take blood thinners for a long time — often for the rest of their lives — to prevent blood clots. But those drugs cause patients to bruise easily and bleed profusely, sometimes requiring hospitalization or even resulting in death.”
“Now we have an alternative: Watchman — a device we insert into the heart to prevent blood clots,” Dr. Rmeileh said. “We use a catheter and advanced imaging to implant the device in precisely the right position. Patients are home before noon the next day.”
“We're using the latest version of this device, and the success rate is very high,” Dr. Rmeileh said. “The day after the procedure, we take patients off blood thinners. Patients are very happy that they're taking fewer medications, not bruising as much, and not staining their clothes with profuse bleeding from minor cuts.”
“I’ve had no problems whatsoever,” Honert said. “Watchman gives me great peace of mind. I feel 100% better knowing that I’m protected from a stroke caused by a-fib. That’s a really good feeling.”
“And I couldn't have had a better team than the one at Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital,” Honert said. “I would recommend them to anybody. Having the procedure done close to home at Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital meant I had family around me.”
“Seeing patients’ excellent outcomes is very satisfying for me and our whole team,” Dr. Rmeileh said. “The most important thing for us is making sure patients get the right care without any complications. That's what we strive for every day, and it’s what Watchman is helping us deliver.”
For more information, visit froedtertsouth.com.
