Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) is an abnormal heart rhythm characterized by a rapid and irregular heartbeat, called an arrhythmia. According to the American Heart Association, untreated AFib doubles the risk of heart-related deaths, and patients with AFib are five times more likely to suffer a stroke than individuals with a normal heart rhythm.

“As the region’s leading heart and vascular hospital, we are proud to have been offering this innovative procedure to those with Atrial Fibrillation for over eight years,” said Dr. Adam Saltzman, Medical Director of the Structural Heart Disease Program at Southcoast Health. “Atrial Fibrillation greatly increases a patient’s risk of stroke, a leading cause of death and disability. The WATCHMAN device mitigates stroke risk similarly to blood thinners.”

The WATCHMAN procedure provides a one-time treatment option for patients with Atrial Fibrillation that is a permanent alternative to taking oral blood thinners every day for the rest of their lives. Charlton Memorial Hospital first implemented the Boston Scientific’s WATCHMAN device to treat patients with Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib) on August 24, 2015.

“This milestone is truly a team effort between the structural heart interventionists, imaging cardiologists and procedural team. It represents the team’s dedication to treating this common arrhythmia and I am so proud of the region leading program we have built here at Southcoast Health,” added Saltzman.

This accomplishment was possible by the medical leadership of Dr. Adam Saltzman, along with Dr. Ramin Davoudi, Medical Director of Electrophysiology, Dr. Nitesh Sood, Director of Southcoast Health’s Atrial Fibrillation Wellness Program, Dr. Chris Abadi, Medical Director of Echocardiography and Advanced Imaging, Dr. Albert Lin, Medical Director of Structural Heart Imaging and Dr. Robert Vazquez, Structural Heart Imaging Specialist.

AFib is one of the most common heart arrhythmias and the CDC estimates that 12.1 million people in the United States will have AFib in 2030.

Congratulations to this amazing team on reaching this impressive milestone!

For more information about Southcoast Health’s Heart & Vascular services visit Top Cardiologist Southeast MA | Southcoast Health.