11 Comments
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Bill's avatar

So what is a patient to conclude? Doctors are supposed to make recommendations… mine says to install this device to preclude a stroke… so WTF???? I need a definitive answer and all I read is controversy … do it! Don’t do it!! Mother of GoD… I hate the medical community

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Ryan Cooley's avatar

When controversy exists best to pause

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John Kieffer, MD MPH's avatar

Hi Bill, I hear you and that uncertainty can be worse than the disease itself sometimes. Incredibly frustrating and demoralizing.

As physicians here online we can't really give you medical advice so I will not do that here. However, one thing that patients can do is to bring specific information, such as that cited in this article or in journal article and bring it to their physician (respectfully of course) so they have to at least wrestle with it and maybe it's something they haven't seen before. It can be an avenue to have a more fruitful conversation or learn that the partnership may not be best fit.

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Gail Rottman's avatar

Amen to our dilemma

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Beverly's avatar

I have a Watchman like device in my heart. It is called an Amulet. It supposed to do the same thing as the Watchman. So far I have not had problems but after reading this, it is concerning. Thanks for the article.

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Diana (Somewhere in Maryland)'s avatar

My mother in law had this done in October and has noticeably declined ever since. She is 88; how could any doctor ethically recommend implanting anything in a heart that old? There will massive lawsuits against the Watchman one day and it will be withdrawn from the market.

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Jim Massey's avatar

Have you seen any new studies to change your opinion in this?

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Jim Massey's avatar

What is your position now that we have more data? Watchman vs Xarelto? Periodic bleeding from prostate.

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tony d's avatar

what about closing the appendage from the outside? If stroke is a systemic problem, shouldn't the whole population be on blood thinners??

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Tom Edwards's avatar

Finally, some reason! I was one of your CRM reps at Guidant when we met. I was with Guidant then Boston Scientific when Watchman was being developed. I was not impressed. Certainly we could do better. Exchanging one systemic therapy for a focal therapy without clear systemic benefit is immoral. But Watchman will make a lot of money for BSC and has already made some careers.

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Tom Edwards's avatar

Finally, some reason! I was one of your CRM reps at Guidant when we met. I was with Guidant then Boston Scientific when Watchman was being developed. I was not impressed. Certainly we could do better. Exchanging one systemic therapy for a focal therapy without clear systemic benefit is immoral. But Watchman will make a lot of money for BSC and has already made some careers.

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