Cutting Edge Technology and Services
The Providence St. Peter Regional Heart Center has been the region’s leader in cardiac surgery since we opened in 1991. Today we continue to offer the latest surgical techniques and innovations, including: Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery, Including Off-Pump Surgery
Thousands of successful bypass surgeries have been performed by Providence surgeons and our heart center consistently ranks among the region’s best for clinical outcomes. Surgeons here also perform most bypass surgeries off-pump (without the heart-lung machine), which allows them to operate on the still beating heart. Off-pump surgery lowers the risk of bleeding, stroke and renal failure, leading to quicker recovery. Mortality is also reduced with off-pump surgery. Heart Valve Repair and Replacement
About 70 percent of our mitral valve surgeries involve repair, rather than replacement. Our surgeons utilize the latest minimally invasive techniques, which means faster recovery for patients. When repair isn’t an option, our surgeons use mechanical or tissue valves, depending on the patient’s age and other health or lifestyle conditions. Endoscopic Vein Harvesting
Bypass surgery often requires the “harvesting” of the patient’s own vein, usually from the leg. The tissue is then used to help repair the heart. At Providence, our cardiac surgeons have been using endoscopic techniques since 1999, reducing the risk of complications and infection from traditional harvesting methods.  Modified Maze Procedure
Most frequently performed as part of cardiac surgery, the modified maze procedure is a surgical treatment for atrial fibrillation. It uses radio waves or ultrasound energy to create scar tissue, blocking the abnormal electrical signals that cause the arrhythmia. The scar tissue directs electric signals through a controlled path, or maze.
• Thorascopic Mini-Maze - Our surgeons perform the latest minimally invasive technique for stand alone atrial fibrillation treatment called the thorascopic mini-maze. This utilizes three small incisions in the side of the chest and visualization with a thorascope. This results in quick recovery and return to work.
Vascular Procedures
For people who suffer from peripheral vascular disease, Providence can help. Our vascular specialists perform a wide range of procedures, supported by skilled care teams and outstanding facilities. Procedures include: Endarterectomy – An endarterectomy is a procedure to surgically clean out the plaque blocking an artery. This procedure is very common when one or both of the carotid arteries—the arteries leading to the brain—become blocked, preventing a stroke. Endarterectomies can be performed on almost any blocked artery regardless of location.  Peripheral Vascular Angioplasty – Involves dilating obstructed arteries with a balloon catheter. This can include the carotid arteries to the brain.
Endovascular Stent – For blocked arteries, this procedure is similar to balloon angioplasty where a small metal, mesh sleeve is introduced in the dilated artery to keep it open. It is also used for aneurismal or greatly dilated arteries where a covered stent is placed in the lumen of the dilated artery to prevent the artery from rupturing. Limb Salvaging – Blocked arteries in the legs cause pain in the feet and toes, skin ulcerations and, in some cases, muscle weakness and numbness. In extreme medical cases, surgeons must consider amputation of the affected limb. For several years, Providence surgeons have performed limb-salvaging procedures, opening up the blocked arteries, improving blood flow, reducing pain and, importantly, eliminating the need for amputation.
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