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WATCHMAN™ Device (Left Atrial Appendage Closure)

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menu WATCHMAN™ Device (Left Atrial Appendage Closure)
  • Overview
    • Who is a candidate for WATCHMAN™?
    • What to expect from WATCHMAN™
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Pioneers in a non-surgical procedure to prevent stroke in AFib patients

Expert Heart & Vascular Care

Getting the care you need starts with seeing one of our heart or vascular specialists.

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Twenty percent of strokes are caused by an abnormal heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation, or AFib. Traditionally, the common treatment for AFib was blood-thinning medication, such as warfarin. However, long-term blood-thinner use raises the risk of internal bleeding.

WATCHMAN Implant

We can now implant a WATCHMAN device to permanently seal off the left atrial appendage (LAA) of the heart, a small pouch that is the site of almost all stroke-causing blood clots in people with AFib. The device is designed to essentially act as a mesh filter, allowing blood to flow through while stopping clots.

We have more experience with this minimally invasive procedure than anyone else in the mid-Atlantic region. The WATCHMAN was the first left atrial appendage closure device approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for AFib. Our teams in the Electrophysiology and Interventional Cardiology programs tested the device for eight years in multiple clinical trials before it reached the market, and we were the first in the region to use it successfully.

Who is a candidate for WATCHMAN™?

 Image of a WATCHMAN DeviceYour doctor may recommend implanting a WATCHMAN device if you:

  • Are at increased risk of stroke and blood-thinning medication is recommended
  • Have atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem
  • Have a history of bleeding problems while taking blood thinners or are unable to tolerate their side effects
  • Have a medical condition, occupation or lifestyle that increases your risk of major bleeding due to trauma
  • Have trouble staying within the recommended blood-clotting range

You should not have a WATCHMAN device implanted if you:

  • Are allergic to a material in the device, such as nickel or titanium
  • Can’t take blood thinners
  • Need to take blood thinners for a reason other than AFib
  • Should not or cannot undergo heart catheterization procedures

Electrophysiology Program

We are leaders in developing and using the latest procedures and technologies to treat heart rhythm disorders, and our cardiac electrophysiology laboratory is one of the most sophisticated in North America.

Learn More

What to expect from WATCHMAN™

The procedure will take place in one of our electrophysiology (EP) or cardiac catheterization labs. Here, we have specialized equipment that allows your doctor to test the electrical activity of your heart. You’ll be put to sleep using general anesthesia. Your doctor will make a small incision in your groin and insert a thin, flexible tube called a catheter into a blood vessel. At the end of the catheter is the jellyfish-looking device.

The doctor will guide the catheter to the opening of your left atrial appendage. The WATCHMAN is spring-loaded to expand to about the size of a quarter once placed. There are no batteries or wires, and it’s intended to be left in place permanently.

The procedure will take about an hour and you will need to stay in the hospital overnight. You’ll continue to take blood-thinning medication until scar tissue grows over the device and seals off the LAA. Most patients can stop taking blood thinners within 45 days.

Tests

Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)

Atrial fibrillation, or AFib, is a type of arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat) in which the heart’s two upper chambers do not beat in sync with the two lower chambers.

Computerized Tomography (CT) Scan

The cardiac computed tomography scan, or cardiac CT, uses X-rays to create three-dimensional images of your heart and blood vessels.

Echocardiogram

An echocardiogram uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of your heart.

Electrocardiogram (ECG)

An electrocardiogram, also known as an ECG, measures the heart’s electrical activity.

Event Monitors

An event monitor is a small device that records the heart’s electrical activity. It’s similar to an electrocardiogram, but where an electrocardiogram takes place over a few minutes, an event monitor measures heart rhythms over a much longer time.

Holter Monitors

A Holter monitor is a small device that records the heart’s electrical activity. It’s similar to an electrocardiogram, but whereas an electrocardiogram records over a few minutes, a Holter monitor records over the course of a day or two.

Stress Tests

Stress tests are used to assess how your heart works during physical activity. There are several types of stress tests, including treadmill or bike stress tests, nuclear stress tests, stress echocardiograms and chemically induced stress tests.

Physicians

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20 Doctors & Specialists
Dr. Seth J. Worley, MD
Dr. Seth J. Worley, MD
Electrophysiology
110 Irving Street Northwest Suite NW Washington, DC 20010
202-877-7685
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Dr. Sunjeet Singh Sidhu, MD
Dr. Sunjeet Singh Sidhu, MD
Electrophysiology | Internal Medicine
3001 South Hanover Street Gruehn Bldg Ste 301 Baltimore, MD 21225
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Dr. Zayd Adnan Eldadah, MD, PhD
Dr. Zayd Adnan Eldadah, MD, PhD
Electrophysiology
(405)
3800 Reservoir Road Northwest Washington, DC 20007
(202) 877-7685
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Dr. Andrew Weidner Ertel, MD
Dr. Andrew Weidner Ertel, MD
Valvular Disease Cardiology | Cardiology | Structural Heart Disease Cardiology | Cardiac Imaging
(133)
110 Irving Street Northwest Suite NW Washington, DC 20010
(202) 877-7777
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Dr. Jay Aaron Mazel, MD
Dr. Jay Aaron Mazel, MD
Electrophysiology
(334)
18101 Prince Philip Drive Suite 4100 Olney, MD 20832
(202) 416-2000
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Dr. Margaret B. Fischer, MD
Dr. Margaret B. Fischer, MD
Electrophysiology | Adult Congenital Cardiac Disease
(320)
3020 Hamaker Court Suite 502 Fairfax, VA 22031
(703) 208-7257
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Dr. Susan O'Donoghue, MD
Dr. Susan O'Donoghue, MD
Electrophysiology
(257)
110 Irving Street Northwest Room 5A-12 Washington, DC 20010
(202) 877-7685
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Dr. Cyrus A. Hadadi, MD
Dr. Cyrus A. Hadadi, MD
Electrophysiology
505 Bryn Street Cambridge, MD 21613
(202) 877-7685
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Dr. Michael S. Goldstein, MD
Dr. Michael S. Goldstein, MD
Electrophysiology
(413)
2002 Medical Parkway Suite 500 Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 573-6480
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Dr. Sung W. Lee, MD
Dr. Sung W. Lee, MD
Electrophysiology
7501 Surratts Road Suite 304 Clinton, MD 20735
301-877-5677
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Dr. David A. Strouse, MD
Dr. David A. Strouse, MD
Electrophysiology
(388)
3020 Hamaker Court Suite 502 Fairfax, VA 22031
(703) 208-7257
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Dr. Edward V. Platia, MD
Dr. Edward V. Platia, MD
Electrophysiology
(165)
110 Irving Street Northwest 5th Floor Washington, DC 20010
(202) 877-7685
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Dr. Manish H. Shah, MD
Dr. Manish H. Shah, MD
Electrophysiology
(304)
110 Irving Street Northwest Suite 5A-14 Washington, DC 20010
(202) 877-7685
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Dr. Gaby Weissman, MD
Dr. Gaby Weissman, MD
Valvular Disease Cardiology | Structural Heart Disease Cardiology | Cardiac Imaging
(86)
110 Irving Street Northwest Department of Cardiology Suite 6015 Washington, DC 20010
(202) 877-7777
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Dr. Walter L. Atiga, MD
Dr. Walter L. Atiga, MD
Electrophysiology
8640 Sudley Road Suite 302 Manassas, VA 20110
(703) 208-7257
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Dr. Sarfraz A. Durrani, MD
Dr. Sarfraz A. Durrani, MD
Electrophysiology
(369)
3020 Hamaker Court Suite 502 Fairfax, VA 22031
(703) 208-7257
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Dr. Rafique Ahmed, MD
Dr. Rafique Ahmed, MD
Electrophysiology
(151)
9105 Franklin Square Drive WHITE SQUARE PROF BLDG Rosedale, MD 21237
410-554-6727
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Dr. Athanasios Thomaides, MD
Dr. Athanasios Thomaides, MD
Electrophysiology
(297)
3800 Reservoir Road Northwest 5th Floor Washington, DC 20007
(301) 877-5677
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Dr. Glenn Robert Meininger, MD
Dr. Glenn Robert Meininger, MD
Electrophysiology
(182)
3333 North Calvert Street Johnston Professional Building Baltimore, MD 21218
410-554-6727
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Dr. David J. Schamp, MD
Dr. David J. Schamp, MD
Electrophysiology
(151)
3333 North Calvert Street Johnston Professional Building Baltimore, MD 21218
410-554-6727
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Locations

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MedStar Union Memorial Hospital
201 East University Parkway Baltimore, MD 21218
(410) 554-2266
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MedStar Washington Hospital Center
110 Irving Street Northwest Washington, DC 20010
202-877-3627
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