WATCHMAN™ Device Now Available to A Fib Patients at Miami Valley Hospital
Device helps prevent blood clots from entering bloodstream
DAYTON, Ohio (December 1, 2017) – Miami Valley Hospital now offers an advanced catheter-based procedure that can be an important alternative for patients affected by atrial fibrillation, or A Fib.
The procedure is the left atrial appendage closure with the WATCHMAN™ device. The procedure involves the placement of the device in the heart to prevent blood clots from entering the bloodstream, reducing the risk of stroke.
Another Premier Health hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital (closed in 2018), in early 2016 became the first hospital in Dayton to perform the procedure.
A Fib is a condition in which the upper chambers of the heart beat too quickly in an irregular rhythm. This can cause blood to pool and form clots in the left atrial appendage (LAA), a small sac in the lining of the upper left heart chamber. Blood clots can make their way from the LAA into the bloodstream and cause a stroke.
The WATCHMAN™ implant works by closing off the LAA and lowering the chance of blood clots entering the bloodstream.
“This is exciting news for our patients with A Fib,” said Mark Krebs, MD, an electrophysiologist and director of clinical cardiac electrophysiology at Miami Valley Hospital. “Part of our commitment to cardiac care is finding and implementing effective treatment options that improve the day-to-day lives of our patients. The WATCHMAN™ implant helps us do that.”
About 2.7 million Americans have A Fib, according to the American Heart Association. About 15 to 20 percent of people who have strokes have A Fib. The risk of clotting that comes with A Fib is why patients who have the condition are put on blood thinners.
The device is implanted using a special catheter containing the WATCHMAN™ device and inserted into a large blood vessel in the groin. Using advanced imaging techniques and equipment, the catheter is gently moved through blood vessels to the left atrium of the heart. The catheter is positioned in the LAA, where the implant is released so it closes the appendage off from the left atrium. Over time, the body's own tissue grows over the surface of the implant.
The implant isn't right for everyone, so it's important for patients to discuss the WATCHMAN™ procedure with their doctor.
The WATCHMAN™ implant was approved by the Food & Drug Administration in 2015 and has been implanted in more than 10,000 patients in 70 countries around the world.
Miami Valley Hospital offers a wide range of cardiology services, including electrophysiology studies that assist in diagnosing irregular heartbeats, as well as interventional cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery. In addition, Miami Valley Hospital recently achieved the highest ranking of any hospital in Southwest Ohio from U.S. News & World Report.
For more information about the LAAC procedure using the WATCHMAN™ device, visit www.premierhealth.com/WATCHMAN.
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