Mercy Health – Springfield is celebrating a milestone for heart patients. The health system is implanting its 50th Watchman device this week – a revolutionary stroke prevention treatment for patients with atrial fibrillation, or AFib.
“This is an incredible accomplishment for our cardiology team,” said Dr. Pradeep Gujja, a Mercy Health – Springfield cardiologist. “In the past, patients with AFib didn’t have any options besides blood thinners. We’re excited to be part of this effort to give them another potentially life-changing stroke risk treatment.”
Atrial fibrillation is a condition that causes an irregular heartbeat. The heart’s inability to pump blood normally causes blood to pool in the left atrial appendage, a small pouch that sits in the muscle wall on the top left chamber of the heart. Clots that form there are at risk of dislodging and traveling to the brain, which can cause a stroke. The Watchman device, which is shaped like a jellyfish, prevents the formation of clots, protecting patients from stroke.
“Minimally invasive cardiac procedures provide patients with more options that can mean faster recovery as well as less pain than traditional open-heart surgeries,” said Dr. Tariq Rizvi, a Mercy Health – Springfield cardiologist. “I’m proud to be part of a team that makes these procedures more accessible for those that need them most.”
Candidates for the Watchman device include patients who have AFib and:
- Can’t be on longer-term anti-clotting medications
- Are prone to bleeding and falls
- Experience bleeding events
Cardiologists introduce the Watchman through the femoral vein in a one-time, minimally invasive procedure that takes about two hours from start to finish. Most patients leave the hospital within 24 hours and are off anticoagulant medication within six months.
Mercy Health physicians Dr. Pradeep Gujja, Dr. Tariq Rizvi and Dr. Waseem Sajjad all offer the Watchman procedure. For more information, please call 937-523-2205.