Atrial fibrillation is the most common sort of heartrhythm disturbance, in which the muscles of the two upper chambers, the atria, quiver instead of contract in a normal heartbeat. An estimated 100,000 to 300,000 people in Belgium suffer from the condition, which leads to fatigue, weakness and shortness of breath. Because blood does not circulate properly, it can form clots, which can then travel through the arteries to the brain. The problem has until now been treated with blood thinners, but they increase the possibility of internal bleeding.

The Watchman implant prevents this by stopping clots from leaving the atria and going into the arteries. Last week’s surgery was carried out by Pedro Brugada, scientific director of the Centre for Heart and Vascular Diseases at the Free University Hospital in Jette. The whole procedure is estimated to cost about €5,000, which is less than a long-running course of blood thinners.