Hyderabad: Gleneagles Hospital performs advanced stroke prevention procedure using Watchman device

Gleneagles Hospital in Hyderabad successfully used the Watchman device to prevent stroke in a 65-year-old woman with atrial fibrillation. The minimally invasive procedure offers a safe alternative to blood thinners by blocking clot formation in the heart

Hyderabad: Gleneagles Hospital, Lakdi Ka Pul, Hyderabad, has performed a Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) procedure using the Watchman device on a 65-year-old female patient at elevated risk of stroke due to atrial fibrillation and multiple heart clots.

Atrial fibrillation increases the likelihood of blood clots forming in the heart’s left atrial appendage, which can travel to the brain and cause a stroke. The patient was not a candidate for long-term blood-thinning medication because of other medical conditions. Given these risks, the cardiac team selected the Watchman device as an alternative approach to reduce the chance of stroke.

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The Watchman device is a small, parachute-shaped implant that seals off the left atrial appendage, the primary site of clot formation in patients with atrial fibrillation. Once in place, the device prevents clots from entering the bloodstream, thereby lowering the risk of stroke. Over time, heart tissue grows over the implant, making it a permanent part of the heart’s structure. The minimally invasive procedure was led by Dr M Sai Sudhakar, Senior Interventional Cardiologist, a press release said.