Mon Health Heart & Vascular Center completed its 500th WATCHMAN procedure, treating patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib).
AFib is a cardiovascular disease that affects the heart’s ability to pump blood normally. Many patients with AFib are at risk for a stroke when blood clots form in a small pouch of the left atrium known as the left atrial appendage. The Boston Scientific FDA-approved WATCHMAN device reduces the risk of stroke by addressing the issue and eliminating the need for long-term blood thinners.
The WATCHMAN device is implanted into the patient’s heart through a catheter inserted through a vein in the groin. It covers the opening of the left atrial appendage, and the heart grows new tissue over the device to create a permanent seal, preventing blood from pooling and forming clots. The procedure is done under general anesthesia and takes about an hour.
“This achievement is validation that Mon Health is leading the way in providing innovative and effective treatment for the patients in our communities with AFib,” said Dr. Wissam Gharib, structural heart cardiologist at Mon Health Heart & Vascular Center. “We can proudly say that 500 lives have been improved because of the WATCHMAN procedure.”
Mon Health’s Heart & Vascular team is dedicated to the treatment of arrhythmias and structural heart disease. Cardiologists at Mon Health Medical Center were the first in West Virginia and the region to implant the WATCHMAN device and are among the nation’s leading specialists in the field. Mon Health Medical Center was also the first and only hospital in West Virginia to earn AFib accreditation by the American College of Cardiology and has earned chest pain center accreditation and the HeartCARE Center National Distinction of Excellence in 2021.
“This is truly a monumental accomplishment. We recognize and thank our dedicated heart and vascular team for improving the heart health of the communities we serve, one patient at a time,” said Dr. Bradford Warden, executive director of Mon Health Heart & Vascular Center.
