Programs and Services

Heart Transplant Program

Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin’s Heart Transplant program takes a multidisciplinary approach, providing patients with every aspect of care they might need during the course of their evaluation, transplant and follow-up care.

The transplant team includes cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, pathologists, transplant coordinators, nurses, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, cardiac rehabilitation specialists, dietitians, social workers and psychologists. With a broad range of resources right here on campus, our team possesses expertise in every aspect of a transplant patient’s care.

FAQ

See our FAQ for more informations about our program.

We have been performing heart transplants since 1985, and our surgeons have extensive experience in transplantation. Some of our transplant patients have survived for as many as 20 years after their heart transplant, and counting. Our results for 30-day, one-year and 3-year survival after heart transplantation match national statistics.

Because we are an academic medical center, Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin physicians have access to the most up-to-date information and can help patients make the most informed decisions about treatment options. We offer individualized care, and we encourage patients to decide which choices are best for them and their families. We strive to provide immediate positive results, long-term survival and improved quality of life.

Ventricular Assist Device

Our Ventricular Assist Device Program, which offers mechanical devices to support patients with severe heart failure who are awaiting transplant, has been particularly successful. One mechanical device, called the HeartMate®, is implanted in patients as a bridge to a transplant. It allows them to return home and exercise daily while they wait — sometimes for several months — for a donor heart. Our success rate with the bridge approach is significantly higher than the national average.

Overall Quality of Care

Another key to a successful transplant is the overall quality of care before and after a patient’s transplant surgery. Our Heart Failure Clinic provides vital care for patients who may become transplant candidates.

Heart transplant patients need follow-up care for the rest of their lives. Patients may also need pacemakers, coronary intervention and other cardiovascular procedures in the months and years following their heart transplants. At Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin, we call on experts in cardiac surgery, cardiology, echocardiography, electrophysiology and more — all here in one place.

Learn more about the Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin’s Heart and Vascular Center.

Research

Because we are a leading academic medical center, research is an important part of our work. For example, Alfred Nicolosi, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon and associate professor of surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin, has published numerous papers on his research, which is investigating the role of abnormal stretch of heart muscle tissue in both acute and chronic forms of heart failure. His research has shown promising results using the element gadolinium to block the adverse effects of stretch and confirms the need for further studies. By looking for new ways to treat heart failure, Froedtert & The Medical College of Wisconsin may also be reducing the need for heart transplants.