Man with AF undergoes procedure to reduce risk of bleeding and stroke

Methodist Hospital Texsan is the second hospital in San Antonio to implant the next-generation WATCHMAN FLX™ Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Device on a patient with atrial fibrillation. Methodist Hospital, also part of the Methodist Healthcare system, was the first facility in South Texas to offer the new device.

Charles Amspacher, a former hospital building engineer, recently moved to Texas from Oregon, to enjoy his retirement. He loves to spend his time building wood strip canoes, but he was worried that working with tools frequently put him at a higher risk of injury. That concerned him because he was on a blood thinner medication to prevent blood clots. His goal was to get off his blood thinners because of the increased risk of bleeding associated with the medication.

“I asked my cardiologist about the device after I had a bad accident while trimming trees,” said Charles. “The ladder moved, and I fell to the ground. I had a brain bleed and a broken hip. It was not a pretty thing.”

Charles was worried about excessive bleeding after an injury that could be associated with his anticoagulation medication. He was referred to Dr. Charles Machell, cardiologist at Methodist Hospital Texsan to learn more about his options.

“Mr. Amspacher wanted an alternative to his daily medication that he needed to treat and prevent blood clots,” said Dr. Machell. “He was concerned that taking blood thinners long term would increase his risk of bleeding. Implanting this device is a one-time procedure that prevents blood clots from passing through the Left Atrial Appendage Closure.”

On September 2, Charles went to Texsan for his procedure. He was put under anesthesia while Dr. Machell and the care team inserted the device. Dr. Machell said the whole procedure took about 25 minutes.

Charles stayed in the hospital overnight and was able to go home the day after his procedure at Texsan. Then 45 days after his procedure, Dr. Machell will check to make sure the LAAC sealed. That means Charles will be able to start to transition off his anticoagulation medication.

September is Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Awareness Month, a time to remind others of the increased risk of stroke among the six million people living with AF, an irregular heartbeat.

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