Request a Vascular Second Opinion

Call 414-777-7700, option 1.

Request Vascular Second Opinion

You will speak to one of our referral coordinators who will ask you questions about your medical history, assist you in acquiring your medical information from your current provider and schedule your appointment with the vascular expert that is best suited to assess for your condition. We will work with you and your insurance provider to make sure your visits are covered.

What You Can Expect

Our Vascular Second Opinion Program is an opportunity for you to explore more options regarding your vascular condition. The program includes:

 

  • Assistance from a program coordinator who will arrange your appointments, help you acquire all the test and treatment information available from your current medical provider and work with you on your follow-up care plan.
  • Ability to see one of our highly regarded vascular medicine or vascular surgery specialists.
  • Care coordinated within 72 hours of contacting us (within weekday business hours).
  • A customized care plan within one or two visits, with a letter to you and your physician describing our findings and suggested next steps.

What Patients Are Appropriate for Second Opinions?

We see patients with a variety of vascular diseases – from peripheral arterial disease (PAD) to abdominal aortic aneurysm. The Vascular Second Opinion Program has dedicated and highly trained Medical College of Wisconsin vascular experts involved in the latest research and utilizing state-of-the-science diagnostic and treatment technology.

Vascular conditions which may benefit from a second opinion include:

  • Abdominal aortic aneurysm
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Carotid artery disease
  • Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
  • Diabetic foot ulceration
  • Lymphedema
  • Mesenteric Ischemia
  • Peripheral aneurysms
  • Peripheral arterial disease (PAD)
  • Raynaud’s disease
  • Renal artery stenosis
  • Thoracic outlet – venous and arterial
  • Venous Insufficiency
  • Venous stasis ulceration

Location

Froedtert & MCW vascular services are available at multiple community locations in Milwaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties.

 

Your Appointment

Our coordinator can assist you in gathering the appropriate medical records prior to your first visit. Every attempt will be made to minimize the number of visits, but it is possible that you may require more than one visit to render the best opinion.

A Comprehensive Session

The team will review in advance of your appointment any medical records we have received in anticipation of what you may need at this point. This could include ordering additional tests or treatments at the same time as this appointment.

This appointment will be used as a comprehensive session with the physician and nurse to discuss your current condition and recommendation of additional steps. There are instances when tests will need to be repeated, for example, if the CT scan is unreadable or dated, you could be requested to have a new CT scan. If this is the case, another appointment will be scheduled to discuss results and recommendations with you.

Our Cardiovascular Program continues to receive recognition as one of the top programs nationally. We are honored to provide high-quality, effective care for even the most high-risk patients.

  • In its 2024 Specialty Excellence Awards, Healthgrades recognized Froedtert Hospital as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Surgery, one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care and one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Coronary Intervention, as well as other specialty achievements in various areas.

    For the second year in a row, Froedtert Hospital was identified as one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals™ according to an independent quality analysis based on a balanced scorecard provided by PINC AI™, and reported by Fortune. The hospitals recognized in the top 50 operated at lower cost and had better outcomes, recording significantly higher inpatient survival rates, fewer patients with complications, lower readmission rates and up to nearly $10,000 less in total costs per patient case. According to the study’s analysis, if all hospitals operated at the level of this year’s top performers, there could be 7,600 fewer deaths due to heart disease, 6,700 fewer bypass and angioplasty patients who suffer complications, and more than $1 billion in costs saved for the 2024 study year. Froedtert Hospital was ranked in the category of top teaching hospitals with a cardiovascular residency program. In this cohort of hospitals, Froedtert Hospital was ranked No. 4 in the country. No other hospital in Wisconsin was recognized with this national distinction.

    The Society for Vascular Surgery's Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI) has awarded Froedtert Hospital three out of three stars for its active participation in the Registry Participation Program. The mission of the SVS VQI is to improve patient safety and the quality of vascular care delivery by providing web-based collection, aggregation and analysis of clinical data submitted in registry format for all patients undergoing specific vascular treatments. The VQI operates 14 vascular registries.

    The American Heart Association recognized Froedtert Hospital with its Get With the Guidelines® Heart Failure Gold Plus Award. In addition, the hospital was recognized on the AHA’s Target: Heart Failure(SM) Honor Roll and received the AHA’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll™ award. 

    The American Heart Association also recognized Froedtert Hospital with its Get With the Guidelines® — Coronary Artery Disease Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Silver Plus and Mission: Lifeline NSTEMI Silver awards. These awards demonstrate our commitment to improving care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines and streamlining processes to ensure timely and proper care for heart attacks.

    The American Heart Association recognized Froedtert Hospital with its Get With the Guidelines® AFib Gold Award.

    ​The Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) and Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Froedtert Hospital have each received a silver-level Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. This award recognizes unit caregivers who successfully improve patient outcomes and align practices with AACN’s six Healthy Work Environment Standards. Receiving this national three-year award with gold, silver and bronze designations, marks a significant milestone on the path to exceptional patient care and achieving a healthy work environment.