BCH introduces newest technology to treat AFib & prevent stroke risk

First patient in the Boulder & Denver metro area successfully implanted with the FDA-approved WATCHMAN FLX™ PRO Device at Foothills Hospital

Last week, Boulder Community Health (BCH)’s Foothills Hospital became the first hospital in Colorado (full market release) to offer patients the newest technology to treat non-valvular atrial fibrillation. Experienced interventional cardiologist Srinivas Iyengar, MD and his Structural Heart & Valve team performed the milestone procedure and successfully implanted the WATCHMAN FLX™ Pro Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Device.

Dr. Iyengar – Boulder Heart’s Director of Structural Heart & Interventional Cardiology with a 100% WATCHMAN success rate – is offering the latest LAAC technology that is designed to reduce stroke risk and serve as an alternative to the lifelong use of blood thinners for people with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem (also known as non-valvular AF or NVAF).

The newest WATCHMAN FLX Pro has an updated design with three new features to advance performance and safety and ensure the best long-term outcomes. These features include a permanent device coating to promote faster healing time, an additional device size to treat the widest range of anatomies, and visualization markers to position and anchor the device with an enhanced level of accuracy.

“I’m very proud to have performed one of the 1^st implants of the WATCHMAN FLX Pro in Colorado at our facility, Foothills Hospital,” says Dr. Iyengar. “This latest-generation WATCHMAN device offers my patients a potentially life-changing stroke risk treatment and will allow us to treat a broad range of patients thanks to the expanded size matrix.”

February is Heart Month, which serves as a timely reminder of the increased risk of stroke among people living with atrial fibrillation (AFIB). The WATCHMAN technology, which has been implanted in more than 300,000 patients worldwide, closes off an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA) to keep harmful blood clots that can form in the LAA from entering the blood stream and potentially causing a stroke. By closing off the LAA, the risk of stroke may be reduced, and, over time, patients may be able to stop oral anticoagulation therapy.

BCH's patient who received the new WATCHMAN FLX Pro is one of an estimated seven million Americans who are affected by AF - an irregular heartbeat that can feel like a quivering heart. The WATCHMAN is the only FDA-approved implant proven to reduce stroke risk in those with AFIB that is not caused by a heart valve problem. Learn more here.

Thank you to BizWest and the Daily Camera for highlighting the exciting news from BCH’s Structural Heart & Valve program. Both stories are linked above.

About Dr. Iyengar

• Leader of the most experienced Structural Heart & Valve team in the northern Front Range, performing TAVR, WATCHMAN, MitraClip ® therapy and Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO).
• The highest volume interventional cardiologist in Colorado implanting WATCHMAN – the only FDA-approved implant proven to reduce stroke risk in people with atrial fibrillation (AFIB) that is not caused by a heart valve problem. Dr. Iyengar also has a 100% success rate for WATCHMAN implantation.
• A national proctor for TAVR & WATCHMAN procedures.
• A peer-reviewed author and active structural heart speaker at national academic conferences.
• Dr. Iyengar and his team in the advanced Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Foothills Hospital use the latest technologies, including the Medtronic Evolut™ FX transcatheter aortic valve system and the WATCHMAN FLX™ Pro.
• Fellowship-trained at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University, the first site to pioneer Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) in 2007.

About Boulder Heart

Four locations: Anderson Medical Center (Boulder), Erie Medical Center, Community Medical Center (Lafayette) and Longmont

BCH’s Boulder Heart is recognized as a trusted leader in the Boulder Valley, providing patients with the very best in cardiac care. Our expert surgeons, cardiologists, electrophysiologists, and advance practice providers (APPs) excel in preventative, surgical and life-saving treatments. This includes care for: coronary artery disease (CAD); atrial fibrillation (AFIB) and other arrhythmias; structural heart & valve diseases, heart failure (CHF); mitral valve repair; and more.

Beyond medication management, heart-healthy lifestyle guidance and cardiopulmonary rehab, our team also provides innovative treatments ranging from minimally invasive catheter and robotic-assisted procedures to complex open-heart surgeries performed by some of the most respected and experienced physicians and surgeons in Colorado and a multi-state region.

Learn more at bch.org/heart or watch recent lectures and videos at bch.org/cardiology-videos