Mercy Health announces that cardiologists with Mercy Health – The Heart Institute have reached a significant milestone with a revolutionary stroke prevention treatment available for patients with atrial fibrillation, or A-fib.
Mercy Health Physicians and heart experts Reza Mehzad, MD, RP Singh, MD and Anil Verma, MD have implanted the Watchman device in more than 100 patients. They perform the procedure at Mercy Health – West Hospital. The procedure involves the onetime placement of the Watchman implant to prevent potentially dangerous strokes associated with A-fib.
A-fib is a condition that causes the left atria of the heart to quiver, allowing clot formation in the left atrial appendage. The left atrial appendage is a small pouch that sits in the muscle wall of the top left chamber of the heart. Clots that form in the appendage are at risk of dislodging and traveling to the brain which can cause a stroke.
The Watchman device, which is shaped like a jellyfish, closes the left atrial appendage, preventing clots from dislodging and migrating to brain and thus reducing the risk of stroke.
Laura Lyons, 61, of Batavia, was Mercy Health’s 100th Watchman patient and she says she’s “majorly relieved” to have the device implanted.
“I’m very pleased there’s something like this out there because I am prone to stroke and was afraid I was going to have another one,” says Lyons.
Lyons, a patient of Dr. Singh, notes that her procedure went smoothly and she couldn’t believe how quickly she came out of surgery. She spent just one day in hospital and less than a week after her procedure, she’s already feeling the benefits.
“I usually feel tired but now I feel a lot better and have more energy,” she says.
“Receiving a diagnosis of atrial fibrillation is disconcerting enough. Knowing that the condition can place you at greater risk for stroke can rob patients and their families of peace of mind. The Watchman can help restore that in patients for whom blood thinners aren’t an option,” said Brenda VanDeVenter, Executive Director of Mercy Health – The Heart Institute. “Mercy Health is proud to have an experienced team of heart experts available to care for patients needing the Watchman device to help prevent clots that can lead to stroke.”
Candidates for the Watchman device include patients who have A-fib and:
- Can’t be on long-term anti-clotting medications
- Are prone to bleeding and falls
- Experience bleeding events
Cardiologists introduce the Watchman through the femoral vein in a procedure that takes about one hour from start to finish. Most patients leave the hospital within 24 hours and are off anticoagulant medication within six months.
To learn more about the Watchman procedure, please call Mercy Health Watchman Coordinator Ron Gray, RN, at 513-490-9826.
The following physicians implant the Watchman device:
- Dr. Mehzad, Mercy Health - The Heart Institute, Fairfield and West, 513-751-4222
- Dr. Singh, Mercy Health – The Heart Institute, Anderson and Clermont, 513-624-2070
- Dr. Verma, Mercy Health – The Heart Institute, West and Harrison, 513-215-9200