The cardiac catheterization laboratories, or cardiac cath labs, at Froedtert Hospital and Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital are used to diagnose and treat patients with acute coronary disease and heart attack. Both cath labs are open 24/7 to meet the needs of patients experiencing a cardiac event. Each lab is equipped with the most advanced digital imaging technology available and offers life-saving procedures like angioplasty and stent placement to open blocked arteries.

Cardiac catheterization offers a minimally invasive way to diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral artery disease (PAD) and structural heart disease. It involves making a small incision in the groin or wrist (radial catheterization) to access an artery. A catheter (a thin, flexible tube) is then placed in the artery and moved up to the heart to diagnose or treat heart conditions.

Diagnostic Catheterization

Diagnostic catheterization (angiography) is done to obtain information about the heart and its function. After guiding a catheter to the area being examined, a “dye” is injected through the catheter and X-ray images are taken to determine the presence of blockages in the arteries.

Catheterization to Unblock Arteries, Repair Heart Problems

Interventional catheterization is done as a treatment to open blocked coronary arteries or repair structural problems in the heart. Also known as endovascular procedures, these non-surgical treatments are performed from inside the blood vessel.

Procedures include:

Our interventional cardiologists, and vascular and interventional radiologists are among the most experienced in the region performing diagnostic and interventional catheterization procedures.

Learn more about angioplasty and catheterization procedures and the exceptional care available through our Coronary Artery Disease Program.

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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.

    Froedtert Hospital is honored to be recognized on the Becker’s Hospital Review 2024 list of 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Heart Programs. Hospitals featured on this list are renowned for delivering superior heart and vascular care that results in high-quality outcomes. As part of a health network that includes eastern Wisconsin’s only academic medical center, our heart and vascular specialists treat a high volume of patients with a wide variety of heart diseases.

    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 STEMI Receiving Gold Plus with Target: Type 2 Diabetes and Get With the Guidelines® — Coronary Artery Disease NSTEMI Gold with Target: Type 2 Diabetes 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.

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