October 8, 2019 – With the new WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Implant now offered at Palmetto General Hospital Florida, patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (Afib) have an alternative option designed to help reduce their risk of suffering an Afib-related stroke.
Afib patients have a five times greater risk of stroke and typically have to take long-term warfarin or similar blood-thinning medications with potentially serious side effects. For those who have medical reasons to seek a non-drug alternative, the WATCHMAN LAAC device works by closing off an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA). By doing so, harmful blood clots that may form due to Afib are kept from entering the blood stream and potentially causing a stroke. Over time, patients may be able to stop taking blood-thinning medications.
“WATCHMAN is just one of several new procedures we have started performing in recent years to provide the advanced care for our cardiovascular patients,” said Ana Mederos, chief executive officer. “The combination of our sophisticated tools and technology, and the experience of our cardiac team, is what helps us achieve positive outcomes.”
Implanting the WATCHMAN Device is a one-time procedure that usually takes about an hour. Following the procedure, patients typically need to stay in the hospital for 24 hours.
About Palmetto General Hospital
Palmetto General Hospital is a 368 bed acute-care hospital located at 2001 West 68th Street in Hialeah, Florida. The hospital is part of Tenet Healthcare’s Miami-Dade Group and has been serving the medical and healthcare needs of the Hialeah community for more than 45 years.
Palmetto General Hospital offers a broad range of services including: adult and pediatric emergency care, maternity, mental health, hyperbaric, wound care, sleep disorders center, a cardiac and vascular program that includes both medical and range of surgical services as well as a bariatric program, surgical oncology and the hospital is also a Joint Commission Accredited Comprehensive Stroke Center.
Palmetto General Hospital has consistently won achievement awards with the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines program. Palmetto General Hospital is a recipient of the American Heart Association (AHA) American Stroke Association’s Get with The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target Stroke. Palmetto General Hospital’s Bariatric Surgery Program has been designated as a Center of Excellence in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and a Bariatric Center of Excellence. American College of Surgeons (ACS). Palmetto General Hospital, recently named one of the nation’s Top Performers on Key Quality Measures by the Joint Commission, which is the oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. To learn more about Palmetto General Hospital, please visit www.palmettogeneral.com or call 1-800-522-5292.
