Care to implant Watchman device in 100 patients

Care Hospital proposes to implant 'Watchman' device in 100 patients suffering from 'Atrial Fibrillation' (AF) free of cost, from September, this year. It will start screening patients suffering from AF, a condition in which the upper chambers of the heart beat too fast leading to blood clots, for implanting the device.

The device will keep harmful blood clots from entering the blood stream. The device had so far been implanted in 500 patients in the US.

Care Hospital is stated to be the only hospital outside the United States and Europe selected for US FDA-approved research study. The study in Hyderabad would span 30 months. In all, 40 hospitals and research institutes, including 10 from Europe, are conducting the study.

According to Zoltan Turi, director of Cooper Vascular Center at Cooper University Hospital of the US, atrial fibrillation can cause blood to stagnate and form clots in the left atrial appendage area of the heart. When these clots enter the blood circulation, they might cause stroke and other complications.

The present practice involved blood-thinning medication using anti-coagulants. This, however, called for periodical observation, a time consuming and costly procedure. It might also lead to side effects that included bleeding.

Chairman of Care Hospital B Somaraju, said the traditional practice either involved under or over treatment, leaving scope for risks. There was a need for frequent testing.