Could the WATCHMAN heart procedure be an option for me?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 12.1 million Americans will have atrial fibrillation by 2030. If you're part of that number, know your options for treatment, which may include an innovative minimally invasive procedure known as the WATCHMAN heart procedure.

While many cases of atrial fibrillation, or AFib, can be treated non-surgically using medication, more severe cases can require additional treatment to reduce the risk of stroke.

What's the WATCHMAN device and how can it help? Read on as we take a deep dive into the topic.

What atrial fibrillation is

When your heart is beating normally, you probably don't even notice it very often. But when it speeds up, slows down, or beats abnormally, it can affect your overall health and how you feel.

Heart rhythm issues are known as arrhythmias, and atrial fibrillation is the most common type of arrhythmia.

When someone has AFib, the electrical system in the heart has gone a little haywire, causing the upper and lower chambers of the heart to beat out of sync. The lack of coordination between the heart chambers means they don't fill with blood or may not pump enough blood.

When this happens, a person may experience different symptoms, including heart palpitations, lightheadedness, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Having atrial fibrillation also increases a person's risk of severe health issues, including clots traveling through a blood vessel to the brain and causing a stroke.

While there isn't a cure for AFib, treatment can often alleviate the symptoms of the condition while reducing the risk of severe health complications. As research continues, experts hope to uncover a therapy that would fully cure the condition.

Treatment options for AFib

Because there's an increased risk of health complications for those who have AFib, it's important the condition be treated. Treatment will vary based on different factors, including a person's overall health and the severity of the condition.

Many patients can be effectively treated using medication. Medications to treat AFib have two main purposes — to reduce the risk of blood clots and to restore a normal heart rate.

If you are prescribed medication for AFib, it's important to continue taking it until your medical provider tells you otherwise. Discontinuing the medication when symptoms go away can be dangerous.

Other cases of AFib may be treated with nonsurgical procedures, such as ablation (which destroys the tissue causing the AFib) or cardioversion (which shocks the heart into beating normally again).

Those who have atrial fibrillation along with another type of arrhythmia may need further treatment.

The WATCHAMAN implant and how it can help

Medication is often used to treat atrial fibrillation. But in some cases, that medication can actually cause your heart rate to slow down too much or to fluctuate between too fast and too slow.

When this occurs, an implanted device may be needed to track your heartbeat and prompt your heart to beat at a normal pace. A pacemaker is used for this purpose — during this procedure, a small electrical device is implanted under the skin near the collarbone.

In many cases, those who have a pacemaker implanted still need to take medications after the procedure to alleviate symptoms. Ultimately, a pacemaker helps restore a normal heart rate so that medication can then be used to limit the risk of clots.

The innovative WATCHMAN device offers a different option for those who have AFib not caused by a heart valve problem. People who have atrial fibrillation are at a much higher risk of having a stroke, and most of the clots responsible for stroke develop in what's known as the left atrial appendage.

The WATCHMAN implant is designed to fix this problem. This quarter-sized permanent device is implanted into the left atrial appendage, cutting off the path for blood clots to escape.

Following the procedure, patients are required to continue taking a blood thinner for 45 days, but the vast majority of people are able to discontinue the medication which makes this procedure a great alternative to blood thinners.

Are you at risk of AFib or another type of heart disease? Find out your risk on our website.