SECTION 3
What happens on procedure day?
Checking in
Your team reviews your medicines, allergies, and health history. A nurse places an IV, and monitors track your heart rhythm, blood pressure, and oxygen level.
Keeping you comfortable
Your doctor will tell you whether the procedure will use general anesthesia or sedation. Your team monitors you throughout the procedure.
Placing the Watchman
Your doctor guides a catheter through a vein in the groin, into the heart, and across the wall between the upper chambers to reach the left atrial appendage.
Heart imaging guides placement. The Watchman expands inside the appendage, and your doctor checks its position, stability, and seal before releasing it. The implant stays in your heart, and the catheter is removed.
Closing the groin access site
Your doctor uses a vascular closure device to close the access site. Your nurses check the area for bleeding or swelling.
Recovery
You rest while your team monitors your heart rhythm, vital signs, and groin site. Your nurse tells you when you can sit up, walk, eat, and drink.
Many patients go home the same day; others stay overnight. Before discharge, your team reviews your medicines, groin care, activity restrictions, and follow-up plan.
Updated October 2026. Educational information; your own care plan may differ. Medical illustrations are simplified examples for teaching.