And for my next trick, some hardware to be implanted... (Page 1/7)
maryjane APR 18, 12:00 AM
Well, it is decided..Completed my pre-op and registration today, & they will do The Watchman implant Thursday morning. Should take about 5 hrs from arrival to 'wake-up' if everything goes according to plan. Did tell me to pack an overnite bag in case I go into afib when I come out of anesthesia and they have to keep me to get me out of afib.



https://www.watchman.com/UK/hcp/home.html

Can't say I'm looking forward to it one bit, or the 6 weeks of being on Warfarin afterwards, but that's the decision Jane & I came to. (well, mostky she did)
randye APR 18, 12:11 AM

quote
Originally posted by maryjane:

Can't say I'm looking forward to it one bit, or the 6 weeks of being on Warfarin afterwards, but that's the decision Jane & I came to. (well, mostky she did)



She probably just wants to laugh at you after you have your groin shaved.

maryjane APR 18, 12:25 AM
Or she doesn't want to have to spend years caring for me if I have a non-fatal but debilitating stroke...

(and I don't want her to have to either)
randye APR 18, 12:58 AM

quote
Originally posted by maryjane:

Or she doesn't want to have to spend years caring for me if I have a non-fatal but debilitating stroke...

(and I don't want her to have to either)



Yes, there's that, but you're still going to get laughed at when that "manscaping" you're going to get starts sprouting back and itching.

I'm told that's the most annoying part of the procedure.

There are over 1 Million cardiac catheter procedures done in the U.S. every year and the number of complications is very low. I'm sure you will be fine.
olejoedad APR 18, 01:01 AM
MJ, pray the razor doesn't slip!
maryjane APR 18, 01:21 AM
Actually, I asked, and was told at pre-op not to shave down there, as they don't do that anymore.
They may clip it some right at the catheter entry point but they do not shave it anywhere. Something to do with higher infection risk if the hair is shaved.

They did not shave my groin area in 2015 either when they did the original catheter angiograph to determine how bad my arteries were.

They did however, shave my entire chest and upper abdomen before cracking my chest open.

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 04-18-2018).]

randye APR 18, 01:45 AM

quote
Originally posted by maryjane:

Actually, I asked, and was told at pre-op not to shave down there, as they don't do that anymore.
They may clip it some right at the catheter entry point but they do not shave it anywhere. Something to do with higher infection risk if the hair is shaved.

They did not shave my groin area in 2015 either when they did the original catheter angiograph to determine how bad my arteries were.

They did however, shave my entire chest and upper abdomen before cracking my chest open.




Lucky you.

Hospitals and clinics across the country can, and do, differ on their infection control protocols. For small incision procedures I've always thought that shave preps were over done, (too wide of an area), but very few abandoned the "total shave" even after the CDC and AMA determined it wasn't universally required. Good to know that it's changing.
The problem is that if their sepsis rate goes up any, they'll likely revert back to the old methodology until they determine the exact causation.

[This message has been edited by randye (edited 04-18-2018).]

Khw APR 18, 02:06 AM
" And for my next trick, some hardware to be implanted..."

You should have held out for a monofilament laser whip.



Hope all goes well Don.
olejoedad APR 18, 08:34 AM
Good luck, Don!

(I could tell a story about a vasectomy and being shaved by my wife beforehand)
cliffw APR 18, 09:31 AM
First of all, best wishes Don. If you need anything I can help you with, all you need to do is ask.

I have a questions of my own. I don't understand the procedure.
They release the doo hickey and it is permanently implanted ? What keeps it in place ?

My dumb mind thinks it is on the outflow path of blood from the heart. Why not the inflow, to keep clots from entering the heart ?

Your descriptive image says "it stops harmful blood clots from entering the blood stream". How so ? Where do clots come from ? I thought they were formed in the blood stream.