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Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplant
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Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation Program
Comprehensive Care for Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Patients
Froedtert Hospital was regionally recognized for eight medical specialties, including cardiology and heart surgery. |
The Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation Program at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin offers comprehensive diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care for advanced heart failure and heart transplant patients. Our experienced team of specialists offers patients leading-edge treatment choices found only at an academic medical center. The Center is home to the longest-standing heart transplant program in eastern Wisconsin, as well as the fastest growing advanced heart failure and ventricular assist device program in the state. |
Why Choose Froedtert & The Medical College of WisconsinExcellent outcomes. Cutting edge research and technology. Nationally respected and highly experienced physician specialists. A comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to care focused on optimal outcomes for each patient – mind, body and spirit. These factors combine to make choosing care at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin a lifesaving decision.
Caring for patients with advanced heart failure requires a host of expertise, resources, experience and compassion.
Our Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation Team provides comprehensive treatment for the whole patient, including ventricular assist devices (VAD) and heart transplantation. Learn more about advanced heart failure. |
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To find a doctor or make an appointment, call 1-800-DOCTORS. Online Requests: Use our online form. Our coordinators will call you as a follow-up to your online request. |
Exceptional Physician SpecialistsPatients benefit from the expertise of a multidisciplinary team of specialists, including cardiologist Claudius Mahr, DO, medical director for the Advanced Heart Failure and Cardiac Transplantation Program. Dr. Mahr is fellowship-trained in the specialty of advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology. Learn more about our exceptional staff.
Advanced DiagnosticsHeart failure is an impairment of the heart’s ability to supply the rest of the body. It is a chronic, progressive condition, but people can live for years if they are properly treated. And, there are more than 200 potential causes of heart failure, from coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and diabetes to valvular disease, obesity and viral infection.
| Diagnosing the cause and extent of a patient’s heart failure is vital. It may require virtually every cardiac diagnostic tool and depends on each patient’s needs. Echocardiography, cardiac MRI, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, cardiac biopsy, right heart catheterization and other diagnostic tests may be used to assess a patient’s heart function. See our complete list of advanced cardiac diagnostic tools. |
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The Froedtert & The Medical College Cardiac Second Opinion Program is an opportunity to explore more options regarding your heart condition. Learn more. |
Comprehensive Treatment Options, Including VADsA full spectrum of treatment options is offered including ventricular assist devices (VADs). Surgically implanted, a VAD offers mechanical circulatory support to patients with advanced heart failure who have exhausted other medical and surgical therapies.
Our program is certified as a VAD Destination Therapy Program by the Joint Commission, an independent health care certification organization recognized nationwide for identifying quality programs that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.
| A VAD can serve as a “bridge” to those awaiting transplant, allowing them to return home while they wait for a donor heart – sometimes for several months – rather than staying in the hospital. A VAD may also be the “destination” therapy, with no plans for a heart transplant. Our success rate with the bridge approach is significantly higher than the national average. Learn more about VADs. |
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 The Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin’s Heart and Vascular Center was awarded the Gold Seal of Approval by The Joint Commission for their Adult VAD Destination Therapy Program. Froedtert & The Medical College have one of the fastest growing advanced heart failure and VAD programs in the nation.
Extensive Heart Transplantation ExperienceHeart transplant patients can feel confident knowing that heart care experts at Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin have been performing heart transplants since 1985. The team has extensive experience in transplant procedures, which have offered patient survival rates of 20 years and beyond.
This experience combines with the latest technology and techniques throughout the patient care experience to make possible the best patient outcomes. For instance, we recently became the first center in the state to use a highly portable and compact heart-lung machine. This state-of- the-art equipment supports a patient’s blood circulation and/or lung function outside the body for several hours, providing remarkable flexibility and security for the patient. The unit offers greater ease when transporting the patient to our hospital for a heart or lung transplant. It may also enable patients to begin rehabilitation while still receiving heart and lung support.
ResearchBecause we are a leading academic medical center, research is central to our work. Medical College of Wisconsin physicians are continually participating in and conducting significant research studies to further understand the causes of heart failure and identify innovative treatments. Our patients can participate in local and national clinical trials, which can give them access to the latest treatment options. By looking for new ways to treat heart failure, Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin may also be reducing the need for heart transplants. Learn more.
LocationsThe Advanced Heart Failure Care and Heart Transplant Program is part of the Heart and Vascular Center, which has many convenient locations throughout southeast Wisconsin.
Date: May 16, 2012 Last Review Date: January 2013 Online Editor(s): Steve Mathwig |
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