JFK Medical Center is among the first hospitals in the state of Florida, and the first in Palm Beach County and the treasure coast, to offer patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation an alternative to long-term warfarin medication with the newly approved WATCHMAN Implant. The WATCHMAN Implant closes off an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage to keep harmful blood clots from the left atrial appendage from entering the blood stream and potentially causing a stroke. By closing off the left atrial appendage, the risk of stroke may be reduced and, over time, patients may be able to stop taking warfarin.
“The new WATCHMAN Implant provides physicians with a breakthrough stroke risk reduction option for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation,” said Mark Freher, M.D. “For patients with non-valvular trial fibrillation who are seeking an alternative to warfarin, the WATCHMAN Implant offers a potentially life-changing stroke risk treatment option which could free them from the challenges of long-term warfarin therapy.”