SMH Heart Center Implants Region’s First Cardiac Device
(February 19, 2024 – Slidell, La.) – The clinical team at the Slidell Memorial Hospital Heart Center became the first in Slidell to implant a device in a patient’s heart to reduce stroke risk from atrial fibrillation (AFib). The device, called the WATCHMAN FLXTM Pro Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Device, was implanted on February 16 in a 68-year-old patient in the hybrid operating room in Slidell Memorial’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab. This is the first successful implantation using this model of the WATCHMAN device, the latest in LAAC technology, in Louisiana.
The WATCHMAN device is designed to reduce stroke risk and serve as an alternative to the life-long use of blood thinners for people with atrial fibrillation. An estimated 7 million Americans are affected by AFib, an irregular heartbeat that can feel like a quivering heart. People with AFib have a 5-times greater risk of stroke than those with normal heart rhythms. The WATCHMAN FLXTM Pro device closes off an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage to keep harmful blood clots that can form there from entering the blood stream and potentially cause a stroke.
“This is an exciting moment to bring this procedure to our patients in Slidell, and we’re hopeful that we can impact the lives of many more to come with this technology,” said Ochsner Health Interventional Cardiologist Rami Kafa, M.D., who performed the procedure. “Thanks to the collaboration of our teams at the SMH Heart Center and Ochsner, we are advancing cardiology services in our region.”
Dr. Kafa, alongside Interventional Cardiologist Vasanth Bethala, M.D.; Anesthesiologist Matthew Miller, M.D.; Cardiologist Samy Abdelghani, M.D.; Richard Allen, CRNA; and the SMH Heart Center clinical team, successfully implanted the device in the patient’s heart in 35 minutes. The implantation is done under general anesthesia, and the patient was safely discharged home on the same afternoon.
“This procedure is the culmination of nine months of work to meet the regulatory requirements needed to offer this here in Slidell,” said Scott Dassau, director of Critical Care and Cardiology. “I’m proud of our team for meeting this milestone in cardiac care, and ultimately, making a difference in the lives of our patients.”
###
PHOTO IDENTIFICATION:
Interventional Cardiologist Vasanth Bethala, M.D.; Interventional Cardiologist Rami Kafa, M.D., who performed the procedure; and Cardiologist Samy Abdelghani, M.D., implanted the region’s first cardiac device in a patient’s heart in Slidell on Feb. 16, 2024.
ABOUT SMH Slidell Memorial Hospital is a full-service 223-bed acute care not-for-profit community hospital located at 1001 Gause Blvd. in the heart of Slidell. Founded in 1959, SMH serves as a primary healthcare resource for families in St. Tammany Parish, La., and Pearl River County, Miss. In 2016 SMH and Ochsner Health entered into a joint operating agreement to offer area residents access to expanded local care. In 2023 SMH and Ochsner further integrated, and Ochsner Medical Center – Northshore, a 70-bed full-service hospital at 100 Medical Center Dr., became a campus of Slidell Memorial, now called Slidell Memorial Hospital East. SMH and Ochsner continue to
collaborate leadership, physicians and staff to share best practices, grow services and implement advanced, patient-centered technology.
For more information, visit http://www.slidellmemorial.org.... The hospital’s main phone number is (985) 280-2200.
Media contact:
Jennifer Berger
Slidell Memorial Hospital
Jennifer.Berger@Ochsner.org
(985) 280-8689