Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Media Relations >
  • News Releases >
  • watchman
Media Relations
News Releases
Central Pa. News
North Central Pa. News
Contact Us
Experts
Community-Focused News
Media Kits
Media RSS
Media Relations
News Releases
Central Pa. News
North Central Pa. News
Contact Us
Experts
Community-Focused News
Media Kits
Media RSS

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

​UPMC First in Region to Use New Cardiovascular Device That Reduces Risk of Stroke

For Journalists

Wendy Zellner
Vice President
412-586-9777
zellnerwl@upmc.edu

Want to Make an Appointment or Need Patient Information?
Contact UPMC at

1-800-533-8762.

Go to Find a Doctor to search for a UPMC doctor.

UPMC color stacked

3/29/2016

Main Content
PITTSBURGH, March 29, 2016 – UPMC is the first hospital in western Pennsylvania to use the Watchman device, an implant recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration as an alternative to long-term blood thinner therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib). Studies have shown that the Watchman device offers these patients as much protection from stroke as blood thinners.
 
“It’s the most common heart rhythm disorder, and it’s believed that many strokes in the setting of AFib occur due to the formation of blood clots within the heart which then break off and travel to the brain,” said David Schwartzman, M.D., UPMC Center for Atrial Fibrillation, part of the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute. “The standard treatment to reduce stroke risk is blood thinning using a variety of drugs, but given that they are not selective for the heart, these drugs increase the risk of bleeding elsewhere.”
 
This new alternative to stroke-risk reduction involves a small device being implanted in the heart rather than medication therapy. The parachute-shaped Watchman is implanted by accessing the heart through a vein in the leg using a non-surgical approach. The device changes the internal shape of the heart, making it resistant to clot formation.
 
The procedure takes one to two hours, is painless, and the majority of patients are discharged from the hospital the following day with immediate return to full function. Scar tissue forms around the device over time, permanently closing off the left atrial appendage.
 
Ralph Bish was one of the first patients to receive a Watchman device at UPMC. The 83-year-old suffered from AFib for many years, and was treated with blood thinners until gastrointestinal bleeding caused recurrent hospitalizations and blood transfusions. This forced him off blood thinners, leaving him at risk for stroke.
 
“Things were very bleak for me prior to the procedure, and I was very apprehensive about ever getting back to a place in my life where I felt normal,” said Mr. Bish, of Freeport, Pa. “A lot of people who are on blood thinners can’t get off of them, but this device gave me hope. I’m heading in the right direction and hope to improve even further.”
 
More than 750,000 hospitalizations involving AFib occur each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The condition also contributes to an estimated 130,000 deaths annually.
 
“The incidence of AFib rises as people get older, and it’s a huge burden on them that increases their risk of stroke,” noted Raveen Bazaz, M.D., also part of UPMC’s Center for Atrial Fibrillation. “This new therapy can lower the risk of stroke to benefit many patients in western Pennsylvania who are not considered optimal candidates for blood thinners.”
 
The UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute is one of the world’s premier centers for comprehensive care, developing revolutionary devices and new models of treatment that improve the lives of those facing the most complex heart and vascular conditions. It also houses the Center for Atrial Fibrillation, the first center of its kind in western Pennsylvania dedicated to AFib education, research and development.
UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login