Newswise — A recent study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Interventions highlighted an association between procedural volume, in-hospital outcomes, and left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO). The research team concluded that higher hospital procedural volume – defined as facilities that perform more than 32 procedures per year — is directly correlated with better patient outcomes. Valley Health System’s Snyder Center for Comprehensive Atrial Fibrillation in Paramus, NJ, is classified as a high-volume procedural center for the WATCHMAN™ procedure. The WATCHMAN device is approved for reducing the risk of stroke patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who are not able to take blood-thinning medications.
“At Valley, we are very experienced with the WATCHMAN procedure, having done several hundred procedures successfully,” explains cardiac electrophysiologist Dr. Suneet Mittal, Medical Director of The Snyder Center for Comprehensive Atrial Fibrillation, at The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ. Why does this information matter to patients? Simply put, with volume comes experience and with experience comes volume. Dr. Mittal explains, “when patients have a WATCHMAN device implanted by doctors who have performed the procedure hundreds of times, they are half as likely to suffer major complications such as a perforation in the heart, stroke or bleeding from the groin.”
If you have been recommended for a Watchman procedure, Dr. Mittal advises patients to seek out a high-volume center, such as Valley, to ensure the team is experienced.
To learn more about the WATCHMAN procedure and Valley's Snyder Center for Comprehensive Atrial Fibrillation, please visit: https://www.ValleyHealth.com/EP
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