Inland Northwest Region Structural Heart Disease Patient Resources

What is TAVR?

MultiCare’s Pulse Heart Institute has been treating patients with aortic stenosis for many years with traditional open-heart surgery and, since 2014, with the less invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure. TAVR, a minimally invasive procedure to replace a diseased aortic valve, alleviates the symptoms of aortic stenosis and is an option for patients who are too sick, or have too many other high-risk issues, to undergo open-heart surgery.

Who is eligible for TAVR?

Patients who have severe aortic stenosis are evaluated for TAVR based on factors such as:
• Age
• Serious comorbid, or related conditions
• Prior open heart surgery

What to Expect

TAVR Workup Information (PDF)

TAVR Information (Video)

What is the WATCHMAN FLX device?

The WATCHMAN FLX Left Atrial Appendage (LAAC) Device serves as a one-time alternative to blood thinners for stroke risk reduction in people with non-valvular atrial fibrillation 9AF). Built on the WATCHMAN technology – the most studied and implanted LAAC device in the world – the next-generation WATCHMAN FLX device was designed to advance procedural performance and safety while expanding the treatable patient population.

Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, affects your heart’s ability to pump blood normally. This can cause blood to pool in an area called the left atrial appendage, or LAA. There, blood cells can stick together and form a clot. When a blood clot escapes from the LAA and travels to another part of the body, it can cut off the blood supply to the
brain, causing a stroke.

In people with AFib not caused by a heart valve problem, more than 90% of stroke-causing clots that come from the heart are formed in the LAA. That’s why closing off this part of the heart is an effective way to reduce stroke risk.

Implanted via a minimally invasive procedure. the WATCHMAN FLX device is designed to permanently close off the LAA, while allowing many patients to discontinue blood thinners and avoid the bleeding and lifestyle challenges associated with them.

Who is eligible?

Patients with non-valvular Atrial fibrillation recommended to be on blood thinners and
• Seek a non-drug based therapy to reduce stroke risk
• Prior history of bleeding
• At high risk for bleeding

To see if you qualify, answer a series of questions on this page to get started. To learn more about WATCHMAN, the potential benefits and a general overview of what to expect of the procedure, see the brochure.

WATCHMAN Implant (PDF)

WATCHMAN Implant (Video)

INW WATCHMAN Performance

The INW Watchman Team has completed over 400 cases with a 99.3% implant success rate. This has made them the most prolific implanting team in the entire Pacific Northwest and Dr. Mohit Jain the leading implanter on the West coast, including Nevada and Utah.

The team does six cases on each of their Watchman days with an average case time of just 26.6 minutes, which is one of the shortest case times in the country. They have increased patient volume by 63% this year, providing better access to this life-changing medical device to the INW community.

WATCHMAN Implant with Dr. Adam Noyes (Video)

Mohit Jain, MD             Adam Noyes, MD