When it comes to health, prevention is naturally preferred to treatment. For stroke victims, recent medical device advances are providing the hope of preventing future attacks. Both the Watchman (approved for Boston Scientific by the FDA in 2015) and the Amplatzer PFO Occluder (approved for St. Jude in 2016) work to stop blood clots from reaching the heart and are already being used with success. With stroke victims facing up to a 35% chance of a second attack, these devices are sure to save lives and improve quality of life for countless people. Continued success of the relentless drive to create new devices that prevent and treat medical crises is something which everyone in the Med Device and Quality community can celebrate.

Sources:

http://centennialheart.com/patient-center/patient-education/amplatzer.dot

http://www.strokesmart.org/Watchman_Device

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/delray-beach/fl-drf-device-0111-20170110-story.html