The Future of Heart Surgery

Columbia St. Mary's is Leading the Way

At Columbia St. Mary's Heart Care Program, one of the most exciting aspects of caring for patients with heart disease is the ability to offer leading edge medical treatments and surgical procedures. Dramatic improvements in heart surgery technology have resulted in superior surgical techniques many pioneered and perfected by our own heart specialists and advanced medical equipment. Together, these latest advances work to achieve your return to an active, rewarding life.

We've taken our heart program to a higher level of care. All three of our hospitals are fully accredited by the Society of Chest Pain Centers. This means we provide rapid diagnosis and fast-track treatment that often prevents severe heart attacks from occurring. You can improve your chances even more by knowing the early warning signs of a heart attack, and by knowing Columbia St. Mary’s offers a level of comprehensive cardiac care that is second to none in Milwaukee and Ozaukee Counties.

To earn Accredited Chest Pain status, hospitals must meet a variety of stringent standards, including emergency assessment, timely diagnosis and treatment of acute coronary syndromes. Click here for the full story.

The skills and technology at Columbia St. Mary's Heart Care Program are exceptionally well complemented by the finest physicians, nurses, and other professional personnel all dedicated to your care and complete recovery. The future of heart surgery is here!

Many of the latest advances in heart surgery provide significant benefits to you:

• Less Post-operative Pain
• Decreased Fatigue and Weakness
• Minimal Scarring
• Shorter Recovery Time
• Less Risk of Memory Loss (a common result of the heart-lung pump)
• Shorter Hospital Stays
• Fewer Complications Overall

Cardiac Surgery

The cardiac surgeons of Columbia St. Mary's Heart Care Program are leaders in the field of open heart surgery. Their experience, skill and ability to use the latest medical technology is unmatched. They also share a philosophy of care which extends to the most high-risk patients those often turned away by other hospitals. For that reason, the surgeons of Columbia St. Mary's Heart Care Program have an international reputation, drawing patients here for treatment from across the United States and around the world.

Cardiac surgery procedures available:

• Coronary Artery Bypass Grafts (CABG)
• Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass (MIDCAB)
• Coronary Endarterectomy
• High Risk Cardiac Disease Surgery
• Laser Transmyocardial Revascularization (LTMR)
• Heart Valve Repair or Replacement
• Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery (OPCAB)
• Minimally Invasive Vein Harvest (without long ankle to groin leg incision)

A Full Range of Programs and Services

You can rest easier knowing Columbia St. Mary's provides heart care at St. Mary's Hospital of Milwaukee, Columbia Hospital in Milwaukee, and St. Mary's Hospital Ozaukee in Mequon. Together we offer a full range of programs and services to help you every step of the way from prevention to diagnosis to rehabilitation.

Emergency Department Services

Only experienced, board certified eligible emergency medicine physicians work in the emergency departments at Columbia-St. Mary's hospitals. These physicians are experts, skilled in diagnosing and stabilizing patients with heart attacks and other heart-related conditions.

Our Chest Pain Evaluation Program is designed to provide the most efficient diagnosis, allowing for prompt, appropriate medical intervention. Each year, more than 60,000 people receive care and treatment in our emergency departments.

Testing and Treatment

Cardiology is a medical specialty, which includes the diagnosis and "non-surgical" treatment of diseases affecting the heart and arteries throughout the body. Physicians who specialize in the field of cardiology are known as cardiologists. These specialists, working with state-of-the-art technology, are able to diagnose and treat heart disease utilizing a variety of effective, expedient treatment plans.

Never satisfied with the status quo, cardiologists at Columbia St. Mary's maintain a high level of interest and involvement in the cutting-edge innovations within their field. They pride themselves on maintaining a superior level of skill and providing you with the newest procedures, techniques and equipment available. This dedication to excellence within the cardiology team is a perfect compliment to the individualized care and personal attention they provide to each and every person they serve.

Available testing services include:

• Cardiac Catheterization
• Echocardiography
• Electrophysiology Study
• Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG)
• Holter Monitoring
• Nuclear Medicine Studies
• Peripheral Vascular Studies
• Stress Testing

Available treatment services include:

• Angioplasty (or balloon angioplasty)
• Atherectomy
• Pacemaker/ICD Clinic
• Stent Placement