Cooperstown, N.Y.-based Bassett Medical Center's interventional cardiology team has completed its 100th Watchman heart procedure.
The program originally launched in 2020. The Watchman prevents blood clots from forming and causing a stroke in at-risk patients, according to an Oct. 16 press release.
The Watchman device is approximately the size of a quarter, allowing for a less invasive procedure. Patients with the Watchman spend less time in the hospital than patients undergoing open-heart surgeries.
Five of eight counties Bassett serves have cardiovascular disease death rates consistently above the New York state and national averages, according to the release.
Bassett's team also recently completed its 300th transcather aortic valve replacement and is closing in on its 10,000th coronary stent procedure.