Washington, D.C., March 9, 2017 - MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center became the first facility in the Northeast region to implant an investigational device designed to prevent stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (A-fib) or an abnormal heart rhythm.  The electrophysiology team–Manish Shah, MD and Sarfraz Durrani, MD– implanted the AMPLATZER™ Amulet investigational device, as part of a nationwide clinical trial to evaluate the device’s safety and effectiveness. The Amulet works by sealing off the left atrial appendage (LAA), a small area of the heart, where blood clots form and migrate into the bloodstream, potentially…

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When:Thursday, March 9, 2017, 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.  Where:Catholic University of America, Pryzbyla Conference Center  What:  Evidence-based research is an increasing part of nursing practice, both in the Washington, D.C. area and nationally. Just what that research entails – and how to conduct and support that research in an acute care environment – will be among the topics at the 2nd Annual Nursing Evidence-Based Practice and Research Conference on March 9 at Catholic University. “The return of this event reflects rising interest in improving patient care with nursing practices rooted in evidence-based research,” notes Susan Eckert, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CENP,…

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Most Experienced WATCHMAN Site on Mid-Atlantic SeaboardWashington, D.C., January 26, 2017 – Marc Favors of Centreville, Va., had a stroke in 2014, and it meant he had to take daily blood thinners. But thanks to WATCHMAN™, a stroke-reducing device that he received last year at MedStar Heart & Vascular Institute, he’s off the drugs, and he no longer suffers from the side effects caused by the blood thinners.Currently, MedStar Washington Hospital Center and MedStar Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore offer the device to patients who have atrial fibrillation (A-fib), an abnormal heart rhythm that causes a fast and erratic heartbeat.…

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