September 15, 2022 – This month, Broward Health Medical Center celebrated a milestone in treating non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) or A-fib. The Fort Lauderdale hospital marked its 400th WATCHMAN procedure to reduce the risk of stroke and help patients eliminate their use of blood thinners.
In 2015, Broward Health Medical Center was the first hospital in Broward County to use the WATCHMAN as an alternative to the chronic use of oral anticoagulants. Currently, the hospital is participating in an international study to determine if the treatment can be used as the first approach for patients with A-fib.
Ahmed Osman, M.D.,
“WATCHMAN has been a very successful program for our patients,” said Ahmed Osman, M.D., cardiologist-electrophysiologist and medical director of the Cardiac Electrophysiology Lab at Broward Health Medical Center. “It is a team effort that allows members of our multidisciplinary team to perform this procedure seamlessly and effectively with safety in mind.”
The WATCHMAN FLX (second generation) implant is a miniature device placed by a catheter during a procedure that takes about 30 minutes. The device looks like an umbrella and deploys like a balloon. During the procedure, the left atrial appendage in the heart (LAA) is closed off to prevent harmful blood clots from forming and entering the bloodstream to potentially cause a stroke.
“Nearly 99% of the time, following this one-time painless surgery, we can discontinue blood thinners and still have the patients protected from a stroke,” Dr. Osman said.
The 400th procedure also marked Dr. Osman’s 300th WATCHMAN surgery.
To learn more about Broward Health’s cardiovascular services, please visit BrowardHealth.org/Cardiac.
