{"id":8526,"date":"2020-02-17T08:00:04","date_gmt":"2020-02-17T14:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=8526"},"modified":"2026-02-24T16:20:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T22:20:26","slug":"when-blood-thinners-cant-this-simple-procedure-provides-afib-relief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/when-blood-thinners-cant-this-simple-procedure-provides-afib-relief\/","title":{"rendered":"When blood thinners can\u2019t cut it, this simple procedure provides AFib relief"},"content":{"rendered":"

A cloud hung over John Stout\u2019s head for years. He had a heart condition that increased his risk for a stroke or heart attack, and he was worried about it.<\/p>\n

John, 74, of Peoria Heights, could feel his heart skip a beat \u201cevery now and then.\u201d He was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation<\/a> \u2013 commonly shortened to AFib \u2013 an abnormal heart rhythm that affects millions of people in the United States.<\/p>\n

The danger of AFib is that it can cause blood to pool in a small sac in the left chamber of the heart, where it is at danger of forming a clot that can get loose and block vital blood vessels, causing a stroke<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The traditional treatment for AFib is a prescription for blood thinners, which prevent blood from clotting. For several years, that is how John dealt with his AFib.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was put on blood thinners, and I took them for a long time,\u201d John said. \u201cI wanted to get off them. I was contacted by my doctor who said I was a candidate for this procedure. It sounded like a plan to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The alternative<\/h2>\n

The doctor who reached out was John\u2019s cardiologist, Timir Baman, MD<\/a>, from OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute<\/a>. The procedure is called a WATCHMAN<\/a>\u00ae<\/sup> procedure.<\/p>\n

\"WatchmanThe doctor inserts a catheter into the artery through a small incision made in the leg near the groin. The catheter snakes its way to the heart, pokes a hole in the upper left chamber and inserts an umbrella-type seal that blocks blood from getting into the small sac where it tends to clot.<\/p>\n

Typically, Dr. Baman said, a patient spends one night in the hospital, goes home the next day, and does not need to take blood thinners anymore.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a game changer,\u201d Dr. Baman said. \u201cThere are a lot of people who can\u2019t take blood thinners. So I think this is a very good option for people, and they need to be evaluated.\u201d<\/p>\n

The relief<\/h2>\n

Some people cannot tolerate blood thinners<\/a>. They cannot properly regulate the thinness of their blood, or they suffer internal bleeding. And people on blood thinners have difficulty getting even minor cuts to stop bleeding.<\/p>\n

\"John

John and Kari Stout<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWhen I was on blood thinners, if I cut myself I bled a lot,\u201d John said. \u201cI just felt like I\u2019d be a lot safer if I had a WATCHMAN\u00ae<\/sup> put in. It didn\u2019t take long, and I haven\u2019t had to take blood thinners since.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the procedure, recovery was easy, John said. There was some soreness for a few days where the incision was made to insert the catheter, but that was it.<\/p>\n

The procedure was worth it in John\u2019s eyes. For him the biggest benefit of the procedure is actually psychological.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would do it again in a heartbeat,\u201d he said. \u201cIt takes a lot of pressure off you, mentally, from worrying about your AFib. I still have AFib, but it\u2019s not going to pump blood into that cavity where it can clot. It gives you a big relief.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you suffer from AFib and you\u2019re having issues with your blood thinners, schedule an appointment with an OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute cardiologist<\/a> and ask if a WATCHMAN\u00ae<\/sup> is right for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A device called the WATCHMAN\u00ae offers heart patients with AFib a permanent alternative to blood thinners for stroke prevention. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":8619,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[105,223],"tags":[751,655],"coauthors":[692],"class_list":["post-8526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cardiovascular","category-patient-story","tag-afib","tag-osf-cardiovascular-institute"],"yoast_head":"\nThis simple procedure provides AFib relief | OSF HealthCare<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A device called the WATCHMAN\u00ae offers heart patients with AFib a permanent alternative to blood thinners for stroke prevention.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" 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