HUNTSVILLE – The Watchman is no ordinary sentinel, and there are 1,000 patients who have received the implant in the Rocket City sure to bear witness to that fact.
Huntsville Hospital’s Structural Heart and Electrophysiology teams are celebrating the successful implantation of 1,000 Watchman devices on patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation who need an alternative to blood thinners.
According to Huntsville Hospital, the milestone occurred Feb. 29, placing its program among the top 10% in the nation for the procedure.
“This milestone is a reflection of the amazing team and program at HH,” said Morgan Dennis, vice president of The Heart Center and Cardiovascular Service Line. “Treating 1,000 patients represents countless hours of preparation, planning and teamwork by numerous HH employees dedicated to ensuring patients navigate the care pathway for treatment.”
Developed by Boston Scientific, Watchman is a one-time, minimally invasive procedure that reduces the risk of stroke in patients by permanently closing off the left atrial appendage – the area of the heart where stroke-causing blood clots commonly form. By blocking off this area, Watchman helps to prevent strokes as effectively as blood thinners.
The 1,000th patient to receive the implant at Huntsville Hospital was a 70-year-old Madison man who was struggling with gastrointestinal bleeding related to taking blood thinners and referred to Dr. J. Scott Allison for consideration of the Watchman device. Following the successful procedure last month, the patient is doing well.
“After transitioning off of anticoagulants, he looks forward to a better quality of life,” Allison said.
Huntsville Hospital began offering the Watchman implant Oct. 19, 2016, thanks to the establishment of the program by Allison; Dr. Paul Tabereaux; Dr. Mihir Kanitkar; CRNP Jennifer Connally; and Josh Hewiett, vice president of Physician Services.
The program has advanced behind the efforts of:
- Implanting physicians
1. Dr. J. Scott Allison
2. Dr. Mihir Kanitkar
3. Dr. Gautam Reddy
4. Dr. John Jennings
5. Dr. Alex Vasquez
6. Dr. Michael Butler
7. Dr. Quinton Foster - TEE imaging physicians
1. Dr. Enrique Velasquez
2. Dr. Chris Roth
3. Dr. Sean Groark
4. Dr. Shi Chi Cheng - Watchman Coordinators
1. Karen Szymczyk and Candice Floyd
2. Makala Nolen and Jen Connally - Administrators
1. Morgan Dennis
2. Arin Hornsby
3. Jenna Abington
4. Harmony Sheaffer
5. Codie Vaughan
6. Michael Martin
7. Kim Taylor
Other key players in support of the program are HH EP Department, Cardiac Catheterization Lab, Echocardiography Department, Cardiac Short Stay Unit, Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Department and the Heart Center.
