St Vincents Private Hospitals

Promising evidence of tiny heart implant as alternative to blood thinners

St Vincent’s Private Hospital Sydney took part in a global trial that found promising new evidence of the benefits of using a tiny heart implant to prevent stroke as an alternative to blood thinners.

A report published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine found the device, called the Watchman FLX, had similar outcomes as oral anticoagulant therapy when it came to efficacy. Implantation of the device, which is formally known as a left atrial appendage occlusion, also came with a lower risk of bleeding over three years of follow-up. The device is inserted via a minimally invasive procedure, sealing off a small sac in the heart where dangerous clots can form.

It means those patients who are suitable for blood thinners may now have the option to have the device implanted instead. Previously it was only thought suitable for patients who couldn’t tolerate blood thinners – so more patients will benefit. The trial was conducted at 141 sites in 16 countries with 3,000 patients.

Interventional Cardiologist Brendan Gunalingam at St Vincent’s Private Hospital was the lead investigator in Australia.

“I, as an implanter of the device, am now more comfortable that this therapy does work and with time we’re hoping it will become a true alternative,” he said.  More than 500,000 people in Australia live with Atrial fibrillation (AF), which puts them at five times higher risk of stroke than people with a regular heartbeat.

One out of three people with AF will have a stroke in their lifetime, and usually the strokes are devastating, leaving patients with significant disability.

Blood thinners (anticoagulants) are effective at reducing stroke risk but are not suitable for all patients. Many patients experience bleeding complications, including gastrointestinal and intracranial bleeding.

Dr Gunalingam said left atrial appendage occlusion devices provide a one-time procedural approach rather than a lifelong medication strategy.  “The ability to offer something that doesn’t require lifelong medication is very appealing.”

 To learn more see the full story here courtesy of channel 9.