Independence Health System’s Westmoreland Hospital Performs 500th WATCHMAN Heart Implant Procedure

Connellsville Daily Courier: Independence Health System’s Westmoreland Hospital announced that its Heart Lung and Vascular Institute specialists successfully implanted their 500th patient with the WATCHMAN™ left atrial appendage closure device to reduce stroke risk.

The device is designed for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (also known as nonvalvular AF) and enables them to forego lifelong blood thinners while reducing risk of stroke.

Electrophysiology experts Bassel Sayegh, M.D., F.H.R.S., and Raveen Bazaz, M.D., each contributed significantly to achieving this milestone.

An estimated seven million Americans are affected by AF – an irregular heartbeat that can feel like a quivering heart. People with AF have a five times greater risk of stroke than those with normal heart rhythms and AF-related strokes are frequently fatal and more disabling.

The WATCHMAN™ device closes off an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA) to keep harmful blood clots that can form there from entering the blood stream and potentially causing a stroke.

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