Cardiovascular Update: Premier Health Expands Intervention Program

More than 5 million people in the United States suffer from atrial fibrillation and the number of people affected by the condition is expected to double by 2050. The most common treatment to reduce stroke risk in patients with A Fib is blood-thinning warfarin. Despite proven efficacy, long-term warfarin medication is not tolerated by some patients and carries significant risk for bleeding complications. Forty (40) percent of A Fib patients eligible for warfarin are currently untreated due to tolerance or adherence issues, highlighting the need for additional treatment options.

Premier Health provides the area’s first new stroke risk reduction option for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation: a catheter-based intervention using the WATCHMAN ™ device.

To date, the cardiac structural team has closed off the left atrial appendage in 75 patients using the WATCHMAN ™ device. The success rate of discontinuing warfarin has been 95 percent.

Thanks to our physician team:

Dr. Kevin Kravitz	Dr. Mark Krebs	Dr. Abdul Wase
Dr. Sameh Khouzam	Dr. Sandeep Gupta

This team of experts works together to fully evaluate your patients’ need for this treatment. Catheter-based interventions using the Watchman™ device are now performed at Good Samaritan Hospital (closed in 2018) and Atrium Medical Center. One call – (937) 499-7427 – connects you and your patient to these physicians. 

Back to the August 2017 issue of Premier Pulse