First published in the Aug. 6 print issue of the Glendale News-Press.
Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center recently began offering the WATCHMAN FLX, a Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Implant device.
This life-saving implant reduces the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
An estimated seven million Americans are affected by AF — an irregular heartbeat that can feel like a quivering in the chest. People with AF have a five times greater risk of stroke than those with normal heart rhythms. The WATCHMAN FLX device closes off an area of the heart, called the left atrial appendage, to keep blood clots that can form in the left atrial appendage from entering the bloodstream and potentially causing a stroke.
“The WATCHMAN device is the latest technology in our new structural heart program,” said Will Wang, chief medical officer of Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center. “This advanced heart device serves as a safe and effective stroke risk reduction alternative for patients with non-valvular AF and removes their need for a lifetime of blood-thinners.”
With 20 years of clinical experience, including 10 clinical trials, WATCHMAN has been implanted in more than 200,000 patients worldwide and has a proven safety record. For more information on Glendale Memorial’s heart center, visit dignityhealth.org/socal/locations/glendalememorial/services/heart-center.
