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For Immediate Release September 03, 2025

Watchman Celebration

SIH Prairie Heart Institute recently celebrated its 200th WATCHMAN™ procedure, a minimally invasive implant that helps reduce stroke risk for patients with atrial fibrillation. The milestone occurred Aug. 13, 2025, at SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale — the only hospital in Southern Illinois offering this advanced option.

Since the WATCHMAN ™ program began in 2017, SIH teams have combined the expertise of Prairie Cardiovascular physicians and the cardiac catheterization lab team at SIH Memorial Hospital of Carbondale. The result: hundreds of patients gaining freedom from long-term blood thinners and improved quality of life.

“WATCHMAN represents the kind of sophisticated care patients often expect only in large cities,” said Dr. Raed Al-Dallow, interventional cardiologist. “We’re proud to provide it right here at home.”

To date, 55 patients have benefited from WATCHMAN™ this year alone. As SIH Prairie Heart Institute looks to the future, the focus remains the same: bringing the most advanced, life-changing heart care to the people of Southern Illinois.