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More than 6 million Americans experience atrial fibrillation, including nearly one in 10 people older than age 65. Known as AFib for short, atrial fibrillation is a heart rhythm disorder, and it can result in a variety of serious medical conditions, including heart failure and stroke. The average person with AFib is five times more likely to have a stroke than someone with a regular heartbeat.1 That’s because AFib can decrease the heart’s pumping capacity by as much as 30%.2 Because blood isn’t pumped out of the heart normally, it’s easier for blood cells to stick together and form clots in an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA).2, 3 When a blood clot escapes from the LAA and travels to another part of the body, it can cut off the blood supply to the brain, causing a stroke.1, 4
In people with atrial fibrillation not caused by heart valve problems (the most common type of AFib), more than 90% of stroke-causing clots that come from the heart are formed in the LAA.3
Blood thinners, also called anticoagulants, are an effective way to lower the risk of stroke in people with atrial fibrillation not caused by heart valve problems.5 But some people need an alternative to blood thinners, because they can increase the risk of bleeding5 or stroke.
If you have a history of bleeding or a lifestyle, occupation or condition that puts you at risk for bleeding, your doctor may consider an alternative to blood thinners. Left atrial appendage closure (LAAO) devices are designed for reducing strokes. The devices are also sometimes referred to as LAAC’s, or left atrial appendage closure. One type of this device is WATCHMAN.
Community was first in Indiana to perform the WATCHMAN FLX and WATCHMAN FLX Pro procedures. Since 2016, Community has performed more than 800 WATCHMAN procedures.
Watch an informative online presentation about the LAOO procedure that reduces the risk of stroke in people with non-valvular Afib.
A stroke is like a heart attack in the brain. To find out your personal risk of a stroke, answer a few simple questions about your health and lifestyle.
The LAAO treatment is a one-time, minimally invasive procedure for people with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem (also known as non-valvular AFib) who need an alternative to blood thinners. The device is about the size of a quarter and made from very light and compact materials commonly used in many other medical implants.
Michael Robertson, MD, an interventional cardiologist at Community Heart and Vascular Hospital, explains that this goes right to the source of stroke risk for AFib patients. “Clots tend to form in a muscle pocket in the left atrium for AFib patients,” he says. In fact, it’s estimated that 90 to 95 percent of the clots linked to AFib start out in this area.
“A left atrial appendage closure device is essentially a plug that is put into that muscle pocket to permanently seal it off from the rest of the heart chamber,” Dr. Robertson explains. With that breeding ground for clots sealed off, the risk of stroke goes down significantly. It’s ideal for those who can’t take blood thinners—and for those who have been on blood thinners, the implants often make the medications unnecessary.
If you would like more information about this procedure, please contact the program coordinator at 317-621-8489.
Learn more in this video.
Dr. Bill Godley grew up in Fort Wayne, IN prior to receiving his bachelor degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He then went on to attend medical school at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, where he graduated with honors. Following this he completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. To round out his training, Dr. Godley completed general and interventional cardiology fellowships at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, TX, where he served as chief cardiology fellow.
Dr. Godley has an interest in all areas of cardiac and vascular interventional medicine – including complex coronary and peripheral revascularization, as well as minimally-invasive interventions for structural and valvular heart disease.
Dr. Malineni, board-certified cardiologist, joined Community Heart and Vascular in 2010. Previously, Dr. Malineni served as an electrophysiologist at Illinois Heart and Vascular in Hinsdale. He completed his fellowship in cardiology at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois and his fellowship in electrophysiology at Aurora Sinai Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He completed postgraduate training in internal medicine at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit., where he was chosen as chief resident. Dr. Malineni attended Wayne State University, where he earned both his medical degree and bachelor of science in biology.
He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular medicine and cardiac electrophysiology.
Dr. Purohit is a board-certified cardiac electrophysiologist and specializes in management of cardiac arrhythmias ranging from medical management to cardiac implantable devices such as pacemakers or defibrillators (AICDs) and radio-frequency catheter ablations. Dr. Purohit completed his medical degree at the University College of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India. He completed internal medicine residency training and a general cardiology fellowship at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. He then completed a cardiac electrophysiology fellowship at UCLA.
Dr. Robertson, interventional cardiologist, began his medical career in 2006. He served his fellowship in both cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology at the University of Colorado. He also served his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Colorado. Dr. Robertson graduated from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine.
He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease and interventional cardiology.
Dr. Kevin Trulock completed his bachelor of science in biology from Indiana University and represented the Hoosiers as the place kicker on the football team. He went on to complete his doctorate in medicine from Indiana University School of Medicine, where he graduated with honors. After this, he completed his internal medicine residency at Duke University. Dr. Trulock returned to the Midwest to complete his cardiovascular medicine and cardiac electrophysiology fellowships at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, where he served as chief fellow.
Dr. Trulock’s areas of expertise include lead extraction, complex atrial and ventricular ablations, as well as pacemaker, ICD and biventricular device implantation and management.
