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aspire
Fall 2013
Pediatric cardiology: Help for little hearts
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is
the most common birth defect found
in approximately 1% of newborns. For
best long-term success, patients require
specialized cardiac care from physicians
skilled in the management of complex
diseases.
Aspirus Heart & Vascular, in partnership
with the University of Wisconsin–Division
of Pediatric Cardiology, has experienced
pediatric cardiologists providing access
to advanced diagnostic capabilities to
evaluate and treat common pediatric
cardiac conditions including heart
murmurs, palpitations, syncope and
hyperlipidemia.
Pediatric cardiac services at Aspirus
include:
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Clinical evaluations of patients
suspected of having CHD.
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Outpatient care of infants, children
and adolescents with known
CHD.
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Pediatric Preventive Cardiology
Clinic.
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Echocardiography.
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ECG, Holter and event monitoring for
suspected arrhythmias.
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Exercise testing.
For more information about the
Pediatric Cardiology Clinic, call
800-847-4707
.
New minimally invasive
option for heart surgery
ACCORDING
to the National
Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute,
coronary artery
bypass graft
(CABG) surgery is
the most common
type of open-heart
surgery in the United States.
CABG surgery is used to treat people
who have severe coronary heart disease.
Now Aspirus offers a new, less invasive
option called minimally invasive heart
bypass.
“Minimally invasive heart bypass offers
many benefits to the patient not found
with traditional bypass surgery,” says
Fernando Riveron, MD, cardiothoracic
surgeon at Aspirus Heart & Vascular.
“The procedure can significantly reduce
pain for the patient and shorten the
hospital stay.”
Both procedures involve taking a
healthy artery or vein from the chest, leg
or arm and re-placing it to create a new
path for blood to flow to the heart and
bypass the clogged or damaged blood
vessel. The minimally invasive bypass
option, however, has significant benefits
over traditional CABG surgery.
Little surgery, big benefits
The traditional CABG procedure
requires surgeons to break the ribs or
breastbone, whereas the minimally
invasive option is performed through one
4-centimeter incision in the chest. Not only
does the minimally invasive bypass option
allow surgeons to perform the surgery
without having to open the patient’s chest,
but it also offers benefits, including:
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Lower risk of infection.
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Faster return to daily living.
Fernando
Riveron, MD
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No broken bones and minimal blood
loss.
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Shorter recovery with less pain.
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Greatly reduced scarring.
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Drive almost immediately after surgery.
Not all patients with coronary
artery disease are candidates for
minimally invasive heart bypass
surgery. To determine if a patient is a
candidate, many factors are taken into
consideration, including the quality of
the coronary artery, the patient’s size
and the number of grafts needed.
For more information about
Aspirus Heart & Vascular, go online to
aspirus.org/heart
or call the Aspirus
Information Center at
715-847-2380
or
800-847-4707
.
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