The AMITA Health Heart & Vascular Institute is one of only two institutions in the Chicago suburbs that offers the Watchman™ procedure to reduce risk of stroke in patients with AFib.
Patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) have a high risk of stroke due to the formation of blood clots in the atria and, more commonly, in the left atrial appendage (LAA). Compared to those in sinus rhythm, the risk of stroke is five-fold higher in patients with nonvalvular AFib and twentyfold higher in those with valvular AFib, and the risk increases with both age and the presence of co-morbid conditions.
