Innovative Heart Treatments
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Innovations in treatment have been thriving in the past decade, and MeritCare Heart Center is proud to be at the forefront. Patients in our region don't have to travel hundreds of miles to benefit from the latest advances — MeritCare offers them right here.
Heart Surgery
MeritCare's heart surgery program ranks among the top in the nation. In our highly equipped surgical suites, some of the most advanced heart surgeons in the country perform bypass surgery, valve repair and replacement and other types of heart and chest surgery, including minimally invasive surgery, "off-pump" or beating heart bypass surgery and robot-assisted surgery.
Angioplasty-Stent
This procedure, performed in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab, involves inserting a balloon catheter — a special type of narrow tube — into a blocked or narrowed artery for the purpose of opening an obstructed area and restoring blood flow. Angioplasty was revolutionized by a device called a stent — a small, metallic mesh tube that's inserted within the heart vessel to keep it open while healing takes place. Advances in stent design offer a drug-coated stent, which has demonstrated improved results. Learn more.
Medications
New medications are being developed at a rapid pace to help heart patients. The team at MeritCare Heart Center prescribes optimal medications for reducing heart disease and minimizing the risk of future events.