Blood thinners are used by seniors for a variety of ailments. However, they can be an issue if you have a fall or need to have emergency surgery as they can cause excessive bleeding. Some people are turning to a new treatment for A-Fib which is an implant that seals off a fingertip-size pouch on the heart. During A-Fib, blood can pool in the pouch, clot and travel to the brain, Robert Hauser M.D., who sketched the Watchman’s initial design, told AARP The Magazine (October/November 2021 Issue, page 54). Surgeons implant the device by threading it through blood vessels. An analysis of more than 36K people who have had the device implanted since it debuted in 2015 found that it reduced the risk of stroke by 70% and made the use of the blood thinner warfarin necessary.
