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 The tiny umbrella-shaped product, called the Watchman Left Atrial
Appendage Closure Device, is designed to spare heart patients a
lifetime of taking anticoagulant drugs, such as warfarin, that carry
a high risk of bleeding.
The device will be made available to U.S. centers involved in Boston
Scientific's clinical studies and additional specialized centers,
the company said.
People with AF, the most common type of arrhythmia, are five times
more likely to suffer a stroke than those without the condition. AF
currently affects more than five million Americans.
The device is implanted using a thin catheter and secured on the
left atrial appendage, a thumb-sized muscular pouch connected to the
left atrium of the heart. It captures clots, preventing them from
being dislodged and moving to the brain.
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The product, which Boston Scientific acquired when it bought
Atritech in 2011, has been commercially available in regions outside
the United States since 2009.
(Reporting by Natalie Grover in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker
and Andre Grenon)
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