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Heart and valve care
Get care from a leader in heart valve and structural heart disorders at Ascension Wisconsin, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Heart and valve care in Wisconsin
Get care from a leader in heart valve and structural heart disorders at Ascension Wisconsin, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Why choose us
When you need advanced care for heart and valve disease, a team of experienced specialists at Ascension Wisconsin deliver advanced diagnostics and valve disease imaging, personalized therapeutic and surgical treatment and rehabilitation support.
Understand your heart valve disease
Cardiologists at Ascension Wisconsin specialize in heart and valve disease, which is when one or more heart valves don’t work properly. The valves normally keep blood flow moving forward in one direction. And they prevent the backward flow of blood as it leaves each chamber of the heart.
There are two main types of heart valve disease:
- Leakage of the valve (regurgitation or insufficiency): When the valve does not close completely, it causes blood to flow backward through the valve. This reduces forward blood flow and can lead to volume overload in the heart.
- Narrowing of the valve (stenosis): When the valve opening becomes narrowed, it limits the blood flow out of the heart. The heart is forced to pump blood with more force to move blood through the narrowed or stiff valve.
Heart valves can develop both regurgitation and stenosis at the same time. Also, more than one heart valve can be affected at the same time.
Symptoms of heart valve disease
Common symptoms of heart valve disease and heart arrhythmias include:
- Chest pain
- Fluttering heartbeat (palpitations)
- Severe tiredness (fatigue)
- Dizziness or fainting
- Low or high blood pressure, depending on the type of valve disease
- Shortness of breath with activity or rest
- Belly pain because of an enlarged liver (if the tricuspid valve isn’t working correctly)
- Swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, abdomen, or veins in the neck
How we diagnose heart valve disease
Your doctor may think you have heart valve disease if your heart doesn’t sound right through a stethoscope. They may hear abnormal sounds because of abnormal blood flow across a valve.
A tiny, hollow tube (catheter) is put through a large artery or vein in the leg or arm leading to the heart. It measures heart pressure. Contrast dye is injected so the healthcare provider can see images of the heart and blood vessels.
This test makes images of internal tissues, bones, and organs on film. An X-ray can show enlargement in any area of the heart.
This test uses X-rays and a computer to make images of organs and structures within the body. Contrast dye is often used to help make out the structures of the heart, including the heart valves.
This test uses sound waves (ultrasound) to evaluate the heart’s chambers and valves. An image on a screen is created as an ultrasound probe (transducer) is passed over the heart. This is the best test for looking at heart valve function.
This test records the electrical activity of the heart and shows abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias). It can also sometimes detect heart muscle damage.
This test uses a combination of large magnets, radio waves, and a computer to make images of organs and structures in the body.
This test records images of your heart before and after you exercise. If you are unable to exercise, medicine may be given to raise your heart rate. A stress test helps your healthcare provider evaluate your heart when it's working hard.
A small ultrasound probe is passed down into the esophagus. The sound waves create an image of the valves and chambers of the heart on a computer screen without the ribs or lungs getting in the way.
How we treat heart valve disease
Treatment for heart valve disease may include medication, therapy or surgery.
For this nonsurgical procedure, a special hollow tube (catheter) is put into a blood vessel in the groin and guided into the heart. At the tip of the catheter is a deflated balloon that is inserted into the narrowed heart valve. Once in place, the balloon is inflated to stretch the valve open, and then removed. This procedure is only used to treat stenotic (narrowed) valves.
Your cardiologist may recommend medications to help manage your heart condition. Mediation may be used to lower blood pressure, prevent blood clots, lower cholesterol and more.
This procedure encompasses several types of procedures that are designed to improve blood flow through the coronary arteries, including:
- Balloon angioplasty: This is also called PTCA (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty). A small balloon is inflated inside a narrowed or blocked artery to re-establish blood flow. This is often done together with a tiny mesh coil (stent) placement.
- Coronary artery stent: A tiny wire mesh coil is expanded inside the narrowed or blocked artery to open the blocked area. It's left in place to keep the artery open.
- Atherectomy: The narrowed or blocked area inside the artery is shaved away by a tiny device on the end of a catheter.
- Laser angioplasty: A laser is used to help open a blocked artery.
For this nonsurgical procedure, a new aortic valve is placed inside the older narrowed valve. This is done using catheters, balloons, and wires inserted through the arteries of the groin. Or in some cases, they may be inserted through the arteries of the arms or the apex of the heart. This procedure is currently used mostly for aortic stenosis, although it is being studied for use for aortic regurgitation.
These are minimally invasive procedures. The healthcare provider replaces the heart valves. It's done through an artery (for the aortic valve) or a vein (for the tricuspid, pulmonary, or mitral valve) and is often performed from the groin.
Cardiac surgeons treat complex heart valve disease to repair damaged heart valves through open heart surgery and minimally invasive procedures, including TAVR and MitraClip™. When one or both of your valves do not open or close correctly, it can lead to reduced blood flow, cause the heart to work harder, and result in symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, fainting, or even heart failure.
Get a second opinion from a heart specialist
When you are facing a new diagnosis or are deciding on a surgical or therapeutic treatment plan, there’s a lot to think about. If you are looking for a second opinion for advanced heart care, our cardiologists can also connect you with the right specialists for minimally invasive surgery, including TAVR, MitraClip, WATCHMAN, and ablation. Our heart and vascular specialists can provide a second opinion, based on our experience and as part of a national care team.
Before your appointment, check with your insurance company to find out if a second opinion is covered. We can request your medical records on your behalf, so that they can be shared with your care team before your arrival.
How to get care
Heart and valve problems can lead to heart attack or progressive heart failure, so it’s important to talk to your doctor about early treatment options. For some heart valve conditions, surgery may be recommended. Whenever possible, our national care team of heart specialists perform cardiac surgeries using minimally invasive techniques, which may help shorten your recovery time and lower your risk of complications. Find a heart specialist near you.
Refer your patient to Ascension
Your patients can expect compassionate, personalized care from the moment our specialists connect with them. Our rehabilitation care teams start by listening to fully understand your patient’s needs and to develop an individualized care plan.
If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, go directly to the ER or call 911.
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