Coumadin Alternative for Atrial Fib

[RWS]

Got this letter today, thought you may find the technology interesting....


Dear Patients with Atrial Fibrillation,

As most of you know, it is frequently recommended that patients with permanent or intermittent Atrial Fibrillation take the ?blood-thinner?, Coumadin, to reduce the risk of stroke. This risk is related to blood clots developing in the top chamber of the heart (atrium), breaking loose, traveling to the brain, and causing a stroke. Ninety-five percent of these clots are formed in a small pouch in the left atrium call the left atrial appendage (LAA). The current treatment is to prevent the clot from forming by taking Coumadin.
A potential alternative to Coumadin has been developed by a company called Atritech. This is an implantable filter (Watchman device) that is placed into the LAA. Preliminary studies show that this may be as effective as Coumadin in preventing strokes related to Atrial Fibrillation.
Cardiologists at Saint Luke?s Hospital/Mid America Heart Institute are now actively screening and enrolling patients for a clinical trial called the PROTECT AF Trial. This study will compare the safety and efficacy of the Watchman device compared to Coumadin. Patients who are candidates will be randomized to receive the device or continue to take their traditional Coumadin therapy. If you randomize to the device (this will be 2 out of every 3 patients), Coumadin will be stopped 45 days after implant if a follow-up echocardiogram confirms that the device is working as it should.
If you have Atrial Fibrillation and are currently taking Coumadin because of this diagnosis, you may be a candidate for this important trial.
If you are interested please call and leave a message to include: name, date of birth, and home address. Your medical records will be reviewed and you will receive a postcard in the mail indicating if you qualify for the trial. If you qualify then an office appointment will be scheduled. For more information regarding the Watchman device, visit Atritech?s website at www.atritech.net.

Thank you,

Kenneth C. Huber, M.D.
Chairman/Director, Interventional Cardiology
St. Luke?s Hospital/Mid America Heart Institute

 

[Ross]

Don't think I'd wanna be a guinea rat for this. I have some reservations about a foreign device, besides the valves, being implanted in the heart to start with.

It will be interesting to see what becomes of it though.

 

[Guest]

This is for atrial fibrillation. IT IS MOST ASSUREDLY NOT FOR PEOPLE WITH MECHANICAL VALVES. Clots with mechanical valves form on the back side of the door (valve), not in the left atrial appendage.

 

[RWS]

Hey Al, don?t know why they sent me (a valver) this letter, guess it would have got sorted out later?think If I had A Fib only I would stick to warfarin. I?m sure you have A Fib patients on warfarin, how do you see this technology in getting A Fib?s off warfarin ?

 

[Guest]

I would advise people to wait a few years to see what happens. I'm 63-years- old and have seen a lot of "advances" go down the drain. Most recently AstraZeneca had the champagne on ice to celebrate the approval of Exanta. Their vice president sounded like he was giving a Wal Mart cheer at the start of the hearing, but 9 hours later Exanta was in the tank.

Greenfield filters in the vena cava prevent blood clots from getting to the lung and killing people but they also increase the risk of clots in the legs. The last part was not in the original information. It was only discovered after years of post-marketing surveillence.

 

[RCB]

What's the advantage here?

What's the advantage here?

Got this letter today, thought you may find the technology interesting....


Dear Patients with Atrial Fibrillation,

As most of you know, it is frequently recommended that patients with permanent or intermittent Atrial Fibrillation take the ?blood-thinner?, Coumadin, to reduce the risk of stroke. This risk is related to blood clots developing in the top chamber of the heart (atrium), breaking loose, traveling to the brain, and causing a stroke. Ninety-five percent of these clots are formed in a small pouch in the left atrium call the left atrial appendage (LAA). The current treatment is to prevent the clot from forming by taking Coumadin.
A potential alternative to Coumadin has been developed by a company called Atritech. This is an implantable filter (Watchman device) that is placed into the LAA. Preliminary studies show that this may be as effective as Coumadin in preventing strokes related to Atrial Fibrillation.
Cardiologists at Saint Luke?s Hospital/Mid America Heart Institute are now actively screening and enrolling patients for a clinical trial called the PROTECT AF Trial. This study will compare the safety and efficacy of the Watchman device compared to Coumadin. Patients who are candidates will be randomized to receive the device or continue to take their traditional Coumadin therapy. If you randomize to the device (this will be 2 out of every 3 patients), Coumadin will be stopped 45 days after implant if a follow-up echocardiogram confirms that the device is working as it should.
If you have Atrial Fibrillation and are currently taking Coumadin because of this diagnosis, you may be a candidate for this important trial.
If you are interested please call and leave a message to include: name, date of birth, and home address. Your medical records will be reviewed and you will receive a postcard in the mail indicating if you qualify for the trial. If you qualify then an office appointment will be scheduled. For more information regarding the Watchman device, visit Atritech?s website at www.atritech.net.

Thank you,

Kenneth C. Huber, M.D.
Chairman/Director, Interventional Cardiology
St. Luke?s Hospital/Mid America Heart Institute

Just how are they "implanting" this device? What advantage does this device offer over one of the many diffferent Maze procedures, some of which close-off or remove the LAA and gives a pt. who has lone AF a shot at a cure.
According to Dr. Cox, they have never had a pt. who had their LAA removed,
that had a stroke. I would need a lot more WRITTEN information than is contained in the above letter before I would consider a study of this type.
Even then, since it doesn't offer a cure, I would not participate.

 

[Georgia]

They're implanting these here as part of a study - did a report on it on our local tv. They're implanted via catheter. It's an umbrella kind of thingamajig that seals off the appendage. Apparently so far so good in the trials here.