ASK THE PHYSICIAN
Raffaele Corbisiero, M.D., FACC
Attending Cardiac Electrophysiologist
Division Director, Electrophysiology and Pacing
Deborah Heart and Lung Center
Q: I’ve got the irregular heartbeat called atrial
fibrillation, and my doctor has me taking warfarin
to keep blood clots from forming. I’m really not happy taking
a blood thinner and wanted to know if there are any other op-
tions out there.
-Drew K., Whippany
A: Drew, you’ve asked an important question, which I am
glad to answer with a resounding “Yes, there is!” Deborah
Heart and Lung Center offers a terrific new technology that
gives a non-surgical alternative to long-term warfarin therapy:
the WATCHMAN left atrial appendage closure implant.
This device provides a non-surgical alternative to long-term
warfarin therapy. The implant, delivered via the groin, clos-
es off the left atrial appendage (LAA), keeping harmful blood
clots from leaving the LAA and entering the bloodstream. As
patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib) get older, their risk for
stroke increases, as well as their risk of bleeding from blood
thinners. With the risk of stroke reduced, patients are usually
able to stop taking oral anticoagulants like warfarin over time
— welcome news for those seeking a non-drug alternative to
manage their stroke risk from AFib.
This technology is one of the two non-pharmacologic ap-
proaches that Deborah offers to patients with AFib. The other
technology is the stereotaxis ablation procedure, performed to
get rid of the abnormal signals. The ablation procedure is done
in our stereotaxis robotic lab for a more effective and safer pro-
cedure.
Please contact Deborah for an appointment — I look for-
ward to meeting you!
For an appointment or more information about how Deborah
Heart and Lung Center’s leading-edge technologies can improve
your quality of life, call 800-555-1990, option 4 or request info or
an appointment at www.demanddeborah.org.
www.njcopsmagazine.com
■ DECEMBER 2018 91