Heart procedures and surgery

Patient-centered care

Trust the skilled doctors and surgeons at ProHealth to provide safe care using the most recent techniques. Receive care that fits your needs and condition.

Hybrid operating room

Receive advanced surgical care in a hybrid surgical suite at ProHealth Waukesha Memorial Hospital. The suite combines a conventional operating room with the advanced imaging services of a catheterization lab. That means:

• Combinations of treatment methods are available in one location.
• Cardiovascular surgeons and other specialists can work together to complete multiple procedures at one time.
• Your care team can view magnified 3D images of your surgical area during your procedure, helping to ensure precision.

Minimally invasive procedures

Our goal is a faster recovery, less pain, fewer complications and a quicker return to your normal activities. Whenever possible, your doctor recommends the least invasive, most advanced heart procedure available for you.

Heart procedures and surgeries

Feel confident when you choose ProHealth for your heart treatment. Our experienced doctors perform a wide range of heart procedures and surgeries including:

• Alcohol septal ablation – Injects alcohol into a thick area of your heart muscle to shrink it and improve blood flow through your heart and body.
• Atrial septal defect repair – Patches the hole in the wall that separates your heart's left and right atria.
• Catheter ablation – Uses imaging to guide a thin tube called a catheter through your blood vessels to your heart and then destroy small areas of tissue that may cause arrhythmia.
  • Cryoablation – Freezes heart tissue or pathways to correct irregular heartbeats.
  • Pulmonary vein isolation ablation – Uses heat to destroy a small area of tissue around each vein to stop irregular impulses.
  • Radiofrequency ablation – Applies heat energy to your heart tissue to destroy abnormal electrical paths.
  • Stereotaxis robotic ablation – Guides a flexible catheter using magnets and a robotic navigational system to direct your cardiac ablation procedure.
• Convergent procedure – Uses radiofrequency ablation to treat atrial fibrillation; your cardiothoracic surgeon addresses problem areas on the backside of your heart while your electrophysiologist destroys problematic tissue on the inside of your heart. Watch a video about the convergent procedure.
• Coronary angioplasty – Clears plaque buildup (atherosclerosis) and opens narrowed arteries with a balloon-tipped catheter that inflates and compresses the plaque against the artery wall to restore blood flow.
  • Angioplasty with stent placement (also known as percutaneous coronary intervention) – Inserts a tube called a stent to keep the artery open.
• Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) – Reroutes blood around blockages in your arteries to improve blood flow.
  • Traditional coronary bypass surgery – Uses a heart-lung bypass machine to keep blood and oxygen moving throughout your body while your heart is still.
  • Off-pump coronary artery bypass, also known as "beating heart" surgery – Allows your heart beat while your surgeon grafts your arteries to bypass the area of blockage.
• Device placement – Puts implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs), pacemakers or ventricular assist devices (VADs) in your body.
• Heart valve repairs and replacements – Fixes damaged or diseased heart valves, including:
  • Mitral valve repair and replacement – Opens a narrowed valve, reinforces or replaces the valve to improve blood flow.
  • Aortic valve and root replacement – Replaces your abnormal aortic heart valve using open surgery or replaces both the diseased aortic valve and a portion of the aorta closest to the heart.
  • Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) – Replaces a diseased aortic heart valve with a new valve.
• Left atrial appendage litigation – Seals the top left chamber of your heart to stop blood from clotting in it.
• Maze and mini maze procedure – Corrects atrial fibrillation by cutting off alternative paths for your heart’s electrical impulses by creating a pattern of scar tissue (minimally invasive mini maze) or incisions (traditional maze), forcing the impulses to go through one path.
• Percutaneous closure – Inserts a closure device to treat and plug a patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal defect (ASD) hole in the upper chambers of your heart.
• Pericardiocentesis and pericardial window – Inserts a needle in the sac around your heart or removes it to relieve fluid buildup.
• Small thoracotomy arterial revascularization (STAR) – Performs bypass surgery while your heart is beating.