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| Health | |
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Friday, 23 July 2010 11:06
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| IJN First in Implanting Watchman Device to Replace Blood Thinners | | Print | |
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KUALA LUMPUR, 22 JULY, 2010: The National Heart Institute (IJN) scored another medical milestone when its team of electrophysiologists implanted the Watchman device on two patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) to replace blood thinners and reduce the risk of stroke.
IJN consultant electrophysiologist Dr Razali Omar, who headed the team, said AF was a common cause for stroke whereby, the upper chamber of the heart beat very fast.
This irregular, disorganised, electrical activity of the upper chambers of the heart resulted in ineffective pumping action of the atria, he said.
Dr Razali told a press conference that the team implanted the device in two patients aged over 70, who had a high risk of stroke due to AF.
The first operation on a female patient started at 10am and ended 45 minutes later, while the second on a male patient began at noon and ended at 12.45pm.
The team was guided by Dr Shephal K. Doshi, an expert in the procedure, who is attached to the Pacific Heart Institute, California, United States.
With the success of the operation, IJN is now one of the few heart centres in the region to implant the device.
He said the use of the Watchman device could reduce the risk of stroke, especially for AF patients who numbered five million worldwide.
Most strokes associated with AF were due to the migration of blood clots which formed in the left atrial appendage (LAA), he said, adding that the Watchman device was designed to close off the LAA.
Dr Razali said the device was introduced into the heart via a flexible tube, a catheter, through a vein in the groin.
"The device is designed to capture any clot that may form in the appendage, potentially reducing the risk of stroke and eliminating the need for long term use of blood thinning medications such as warfarin," he said.
He said the ability to close LAA without major surgery potentially offered many clinical advantages to patients with AF who were at risk of having a stroke.
The installation of a Watchman device cost about RM30,000 per person, inclusive of a two-day stay at IJN, added Dr Razali.
- Bernama |