Cardiovascular Surgery Associates (CVSA), under the guidance of Dr. Daniel O’Hair, Dr. Leonard Kleinman and Dr. Paul Werner, has been performing minimally invasive, robotic surgery in Milwaukee for more than seven years.
Using the da Vinci Surgical System, the surgeons at CVSA have been at the forefront of performing complicated heart operations through very small incisions. In the field of cardiovascular surgery, the technique eliminates the need to make large incisions and cut through the rib cage, thereby minimizing recovery times and reducing the risks of infection.
According to one of their patients, his robotic mitral valve repair surgery was so successful that he was released from the hospital the next day with only a bandage covering the small incision.
CVSA has reaffirmed its status as a premier valve surgical center by becoming the most experienced surgical center of its kind in the area, according to their IQ Award nominator, Katie Barrette, marketing and practice development coordinator for Kolb+ Co. S.C.
“Dr. O’Hair’s continued efforts and innovations are sure to bring CVSA and robotic surgery even more approval and praise,” Barrette said.
“In 2001, when we began robotic surgeries, very few practices used such equipment and techniques,” O’Hair recalled. “Others did not believe this was going to be the way of the future. Now, robotic surgery and its benefits are a major growth area for many hospitals and specialties. It has also proven effective in cancer and lung surgeries, as well as a variety of other surgical specialties.”
O’Hair has played an important role in developing robotic surgery at CVSA. He became aware of the advances in robotic surgery in Europe about 10 years ago and attended various educational institutes in Germany in 1999.
The expertise he and his partners have gained over the years not only draws in numerous referrals, but, coupled with their interest in innovative techniques, brings the practice opportunities to participate in clinical trials.
“Overall, there’s still a small percentage of robotic heart surgery being done in the US,” O’Hair said. “But that’s changing, and it will continue to grow in the future.”
Address: 2901 W. Kinnickinnic River Parkway, #310, Milwaukee
Web Site: www.cvsasurgery.com, www.drdanielohair.com
Industry: Health care
Innovations: Minimally invasive robotic heart surgery.
