On the Cutting Edge

An estimated five million Americans suffer from an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, according to Boston Scientific, the makers of a new device treating patients with this common condition. Atrial fibrillation is caused by chaotic electrical signals in the upper chambers of the heart. The resting heart rate of someone who lives with atrial fibrillation can range anywhere from 100 to 175 beats per minute. The average resting heart rate for adults is between 60 to 100 beats per minute. Atrial fibrillation may cause discomfort but usually isn’t a life-threatening condition on its own. However, when paired with an elevated risk of other serious conditions, such as stroke, it can be dangerous. Luckily, there are several treatment options for atrial fibrillation. Blood thinners are a common treatment, but for patients not able to take blood thinner medications, the Watchman device serves as a life-saving option. “The Watchman device is a catheter-based implantable cardiac device used to prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation,” said Norman Regional cardiologist Dr. Archana Gautam. “This is not an open-heart surgery; this outpatient procedure is done to seal off one chamber of the heart, where more than 90% of clots form in the heart for atrial fibrillation patients.” Norman Regional cardiologist Dr. Muhammad Salim said that almost 40% of patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation are not able to take blood thinner medication, which leaves them at five times the risk for stroke. The Watchman device is just one of many new technologies that have created a positive impact in the lives of patients with a higher risk of stroke. There is also the TAVR or transcatheter aortic valve replacement, which is another non-open-heart surgery, catheter-based procedure that replaces the entire aortic valve of the heart. There is a very real possibility that soon all four valves of the heart could be replaced using catheter-based technology. “There are many new technologies down the pipeline that are very exciting, many of them biological and genetic,” said Salim. “There are lots of RNA technologies on the horizon that can change the way we treat heart failure, atherosclerosis or valve diseases.” Gautam said that one high-tech, life-saving device already widely available might come as a surprise. “Smartwatches that track heart activity can be used to monitor heart rate and identify irregular heartbeats,” Gautam shared. “I have several patients that have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and it was all because they noticed changes in their heart activity on their smartwatch.” To learn more about the Watchman device, TAVR and the complete continuum of care available in the Norman Regional Health System, visit NormanRegional. com/Heart. – 19SM