08/23/2026
On Friday, Dr Hoang implanted the 500th Watchman device at Ascension Bay. The Watchman, a device used in patients with AFib who can not tolerate blood thinners, helps to reduce the risk of stroke which is 5x greater in AFib patients. It works by sealing off an area of the heart where most blood clots form when the heart is in AFib, so that the patient can go off the blood thinner. We now have 5 physicians offering the Watchman procedure in our region, all at Cardiovascular Institute — Dr Haghighat, Dr Hoang, Dr Khaja, Dr Patel, and now, Dr Ferraro. Link to media coverage in the comments.