Wegovy becomes first weight loss drug to
become FDA approved for heart attack prevention

Wegovy becomes first weight loss drug to become FDA approved for heart attack prevention

Dr. Omid Fatemi, a cardiologist at Dignity Health St. Johns talks about Wegovy, its history and what it is used for.

Dr. Omid Fatemi, Interventional Cardiologist, Medical Director of Structural Heart Disease discusses the TAVR procedure at St. John’s Heart & Vascular Center

Dr. Omid Fatemi, valve replacements and other structural heart procedures can be done minimally-invasively.

In Episode Nine of the Medical Staff Voice Live, CMHS Chief Medical Officer Dr. Stan Frochtzwajg sits down with Dr. Fatemi to discuss the rapidly growing structural heart program at Community Memorial Hospital in VenturaAlthough COVID-19 has changed the world, it hasn’t changed the fact that hospitals are the safest place to be if there’s a heart attack, stroke or other medical emergency.

Community Memorial Hospital First in Ventura County
to Offer Innovative WATCHMAN Procedure

Community Memorial Hospital is the first in Ventura County, and among the first in California, to offer patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) an alternative to long-term, blood-thinning warfarin medication with the newly approved WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure Implant.

“The WATCHMAN device has proven to be extraordinarily helpful in the prevention of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF),” said Dr. Ishu Rao, Director of Electrophysiology Services at Community Memorial Hospital.  “With this minimally invasive procedure, we can eliminate the need for blood thinners in patients with AF who have high risk features for stroke.  The CMH program has been growing since its inception in August 2017, and patients have already experienced the benefits of discontinuation of their blood thinners.  We expect the WATCHMAN to become a key tool in our management of patients with atrial fibrillation.”

For patients with AF who can take warfarin but seek a non-drug alternative, the WATCHMAN Left Atrial Appendage Closure Implant is an alternative for reducing their risk of AF-related stroke.  The WATCHMAN Implant closes off an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA) to prevent harmful blood clots from 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 taking warfarin.

The most common treatment to reduce stroke risk in patients with AF is blood-thinning warfarin medication.  However, long-term warfarin medication is not well tolerated by some patients and carries a significant risk for bleeding complications.  Implanting the WATCHMAN is a one-time procedure that usually lasts about an hour.  Following the procedure, patients typically stay in the hospital for just 24 hours before discharge.

Click here to watch the WATCHMAN procedure animation and learn more about device implantation and function.  If you think you or someone you know might be a candidate for the WATCHMAN, ask your cardiologist or primary care physician to refer you to the Electrophysiology program at Community Memorial Hospital for a consultation.