Patient excited to get off blood thinners after new, minimally invasive procedure

Shortly after doctors diagnosed Dave Dispennett with atrial fibrillation (AFib) he, like many other AFib patients, was prescribed blood thinners to reduce his risk for stroke. In Dave’s case, however, his body was not tolerating blood thinners well. That’s when he learned about a relatively new, minimally invasive procedure using WATCHMAN™ left atrial appendage closing device, developed for patients just like him. The procedure involves implanting a device to plug an appendage of the heart that reduces the risk for stroke. “I learned it was a real simple procedure. You go in, they do it, then you go home the next day. Now I can get back to my normal life… and I don’t feel as concerned [about having a stroke] as I did before.”