Cardiovascular Care Programs

At the Dean & St. Mary's Cardiac Center, we are committed to prevention as the first line of defense against heart and arterial disease. A healthy cardiovascular system reduces the risk of a heart attack, stroke or other cardiac event.

The Prevention Program, under the direction of a Preventive Cardiologist, is designed to improve the health of patients' cardiovascular system. The program incorporates diet and nutrition counseling, tailored exercise programs, patient education, patient self-management tools, and regular monitoring of risk factors including body weight, blood pressure and blood glucose.

High-risk patients are referred to the Prevention Program by their primary care physician or cardiologist. They include patients with Metabolic Syndrome, and others who are at risk for coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease. Patients who are diagnosed with cardiovascular problems (problems in the heart, arteries and veins) are also referred to the Prevention Program, to prevent further damage or progress of cardiovascular disease.

At the Cardiac Center, we have a full range of Dean cardiology and cardiovascular experts who provide specialized consultation. That same level of consultation is available at many outreach locations in southern Wisconsin. Our specialists are committed to partnering with other medical colleagues in the region to provide specialty cardiovascular care close to home whenever possible.

Using evidence-based guidelines (national cardiac guidelines) for cardiovascular tests means that we avoid unnecessary testing, which translates into more efficient, cost-effective care for our patients. At the Cardiac Center we provide:

• Stress testing (exercise-based and pharmacological-based)
• Nuclear testing (image-based)
• Echocardiograms (regular/passive or exercise-based)
• 64-Slice CT scanner technology for advanced medical imaging of the heart

Dean & St. Mary's Cardiac Center is a leader in diagnostic and therapeutic invasive cardiac procedures in the region. Our expertise in detecting and repairing abnormalities in the structure and function of the heart includes:

• Cardiac catheterization to measure pressures and oxygen concentrations, and to determine the functional capabilities of the heart chambers.
• Coronary arteriography to detect atherosclerotic blockages in the coronary arteries.
• Left heart verticular angiography to evaluate cardiac pump and valve function in the left side of the heart.
• Surgical interventions for atherosclerotic narrowed or blocked coronary arteries, including balloon angioplasty (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty/PTCA), coronary atherectomy (removing the blockage), laser angioplasty, and implanting of coronary intravascular stents to keep the arteries dilated.
• Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) closure for repairing congenital birth defects of the wall of the heart.

Dean's cardiologists diagnose and treat abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). Using state-of-the-art technology at the Cardiac Center, we are able to study the electrical flow to the heart. Techniques for correcting both life threatening and non-life threatening arrhythmias include:

• Surgical or electrophysiological ablation to repair interrupted, abnormal electrical pathways in the heart that cause atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter.
• Pacemaker implantation.
• ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) implantation to monitor heart rate and rhythm and deliver electrical energy to the heart muscle to restore normal rhythm.
• Biventricular pacing to treat congestive heart failure.

Dean's cardiovascular / cardiothoracic surgeons offer comprehensive state-of-the-art surgical therapy for all adult cardiac diseases of the chest, including:

• Open heart surgery for mitral valve repair and replacements
• Coronary artery bypasses
• Congenital heart defect repair in adults
• Aortic dissection repair
• Mini-Maze procedure for atrial fibrillation correction
• Robotic/video assisted cardiac surgical procedures

As one of Wisconsin's most experienced and successful programs in cardiac care, the Dean & St. Mary's Cardiac Center perform more coronary bypass surgeries than the other Madison facility.

Our cardiovascular experts provide diagnosis and treatment of vascular diseases. Surgical therapies include:

• Thoracic and abdominal endovascular repair
• Aneurism repair
• Carotid endarterectomy (surgical approach to carotid artery repair)
• Peripheral vascular intervention and surgery (stenting or angioplasty of arteries in the leg and renal area)

The Dean & St. Mary's Cardiac Center provides a comprehensive support program for patients with congestive health failure (CHF). This innovative outpatient disease management program provides continued, active management for medication, diet and lifestyle, along with regular phone check-ins at home by nursing staff. The Heart Failure Program is directed by a cardiologist and a nurse practitioner specializing in the treatment of heart failure.

The goal of the CHF Program is to avoid acute CHF episodes and reduce the number of hospitalizations. This high level of continued care and close monitoring of each CHF patient results in improved quality of life and increased daily functioning.

Our expertise and care goes beyond surgical interventions and medical treatment for a heart problem. After a cardiac event or surgery, patients are enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program that includes healthy lifestyle education and support, closely monitored exercise program, and diet and nutrition counseling.

We also offer a Cardiac Rehabilitation Maintenance program that consists of supervised exercise sessions focusing on positive lifestyle changes. You may choose to exercise on any of our many pieces of equipment, including treadmills, stairmasters, recumbent bikes, rowers, nustep machines, resistance and free weights. We help you progress your exercise while teaching you proper exercise habits.

Physician referral is required for the rehabilitation and maintenance programs. Call (608) 258-6231 for more information about the Dean & St. Mary's Cardiac Center Rehabilitation Program.