Adventist Health Glendale Completes 300th Watchman Procedure

We’re celebrating another milestone anniversary at Adventist Health Glendale — the recent completion of our 300th Watchman procedure.

It’s a big deal for the hospital and an even bigger deal for the 300 patients previously at risk of suffering a stroke.

Though the name may sound like a bygone consumer electronic product from Sony, the Watchman is actually a tiny umbrella-shaped medical device that prevents blood clots from forming in the left atrial appendage of the heart and floating off to the brain to cause a stroke.

Erica Marquez, BSN, CVRN-BC, who oversees the Structural Heart Program at Adventist Health Glendale, describes left atrial appendage as “a small pouch that extends from the heart’s upper chamber. People with an irregular heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation) face an increased likelihood of blood pooling and forming clots in that pouch. If a clot gets dislodged, it can become a stroke.”

Traditionally, blood-thinning medications represented the only treatment for preventing clots in patients with atrial fibrillation. But blood thinners often come with an increased risk of potentially major bleeding, especially for elderly patients or those with other pre-existing conditions. And that’s where the Watchman comes in.

In a minimally invasive procedure, an interventional cardiologist or cardiac electrophysiologist inserts a catheter into a blood vessel in the patient’s groin. Imaging guides the catheter to the heart, where the device is placed in the left atrial appendage to prevent clots.

“We do it in the cath lab under general anesthesia or conscious sedation,” explains Dr. John McKenzie, an electrophysiologist who conducted the milestone 300th procedure in early February. “It usually takes 45 to 90 minutes, and patients often go home the same day, having very little downtime, and resuming usual activities within a day or two.” A review of clinical studies suggests the overall success rate of device implantation ranges from 94% to 100%.

And not every area hospital has the capability to conduct such procedures. “It takes time, resources, and expertise to build a program like ours,” Dr. McKenzie says, pointing out that Adventist Health Glendale boasts one of the most advanced and highest volume Watchman programs in the area. “At 8 to 10 procedures a week,” he adds, “we’re not slowing down anytime soon.”