New Watchman Thread

I posted a couple of things since my Watchman procedure and didn’t get any response. The conversation just ended so I am starting here.

My procedure went as you all said — very easy, on 1/31. I had a question about the TEE results just before the procedure and the conflicting results from the echocardiogram in a November, as follows:

“I was just looking at the TEE results (I’ve never had one before.) In part, “ The left atrium is slightly dilated. The right atrium is normal size.”

In the results from my echocardiogram in November, it showed both were “severely dilated.” Could this have changed in that time? Is the TEE a better picture? I don’t see Dr. Doshi for a follow up until March 13, so I assume all is well. (Except for my high heart rate, which I intend to address with slowly elevated aerobic exercise.) “

Louise

It's extremely unlikely that your atria changed that much in two months. The TEE provides a much more accurate view of your atria, so in all likelihood the first echocardiogram was simply wrong. Echocardiograms can vary from operator to operator, and an external TTE will probably always vary from a TEE. I would believe the TEE.

That’s good news. Thank you, Carey

Louise, Good to see your success with the watchman.

Did you get the standard watchman or was it the new FLX one ? Also, who did your procedure and where ?

...ron

Hi Ron, I got the original. I think the new one is still in trials and won’t be approved for awhile. Dr. Doshi in Santa Monica did the procedure at St. John’s.

Yeah, the FLX is still in trials so the only way to get one is to be in the trial. And currently you'd have to be male since this is a second round ordered by the FDA that only includes men because the first trial was too heavily dominated by women.

Dear Louise,

I’m very glad to see your quiry has been answered. And apologies that you didn’t receive a reply for the first go around.

We have so many new Afibbers discovering our forum that we’ve had to start rationing in new registrants wanting to post replies or start new threads on the forum, simply because with so many new posters a post like your original thread could cycle through to page two or further down before it has caught anyone’s attention to answer.

I trust once the revamped new website is up and running we can direct new posters first to an ‘AFIB 101’ type section of the website to help answer many of the common inquires new Afibbers so often have and thus spread out the type of posts on the home forum page to represent a wide variety of questions and topics.

Great to see you’re in contact with Carey and Ron.

Cheers!
Shannon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/26/2019 09:58AM by Shannon.

Thank you for the clarification Shannon!

I had my watchman procedure 1/31 and saw the nurse practitioner yesterday. She gave me a prescription for generic Plavix. Why is this? I have been taking Xarelto plus 81mg aspirin since the procedure and was told I would be off blood thinners (except aspirin) in 45 days. Wondering why I’m taken off one and put on another. Also she called in a prescription for 3months but told me to take it for 6 weeks (42 days). Because of his schedule I won’t have a follow up TEE until May 27.

Louise post this as a new post so it appears on the front page, I believe most only look there. You need some answers, perhaps Carey will respond. I have never had an ablation or a watchman so I cannot help you.

Liz

Thank you Elizabeth!!