Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery
January 27, 2022
New heart, new start for Gregg Bohlig
Heart-pounding moments have been ever-present in Gregg Bohlig’s life. He is a gifted athlete and was a three-sport star in high school, earning state player of the year in football and second team all-state guard in basketball. And he was offered a contract with a major league baseball team. While in college, the Eau Claire, […]
Tags: Cardiology, Dr. Daniel Kincaid, Dr. Julie Rosenthal, Dr. Patrick DeValeria, Gregg Bholig, Heart transplant, Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Mayo Clinic in Arizona
January 20, 2022
A mother’s heart: Teamwork saves new mom, son
Every birth is a life-changing event and many new parents enjoy sharing detailed birth stories to all who will listen. Some stories are about quick labor and barely making it to the hospital in time. Others tell tales of painful back contractions or long, slow labor. It’s not a competition, but if it were, the […]
Tags: Aortic Dissection, Dr. Carla Williams, Dr. Nishant Saran, Dr. Robert Wiechmann, Dr. Westley Manske, Julie Janzen, Kyle Janzen, Mark Twesme, Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire
January 6, 2022
Sudden cardiac arrest sidelines coach during game
It was the first week of the football season at Waseca (Minnesota) High and Coach Brad Wendland was anticipating celebrating a 27–13 win against St. Peter with his team — not a near-death experience. As the clock ticked down the final minute, Brad felt lightheaded. Then he collapsed in a heap on the sidelines with […]
Tags: Brad Wendland, Cardiovascular Medicine, Krystal Malis, Leah Rutz, Mayo Clinic Health System, sharing mayo clinic, Sudden cardiac arrest, Troy Hoehn
December 9, 2021
Robert Kass finds voice again after long COVID-19 battle, tracheal resection
Robert Kass is a self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie. The 69-year-old is an avid rock climber, SCUBA diver and four-decade veteran softball player who once spent weeks sailing across the Pacific Ocean in a two-man vessel. Kass invested in his health through diet and exercise, and says he never had a serious illness in his life. Then, […]
Tags: cardiothoracic surgery, COVID-19, Dr. Ian Makey, Robert Kass, tracheal resection
October 5, 2021
Dan O’Bryan didn’t think his dizziness and lightheadedness were anything to worry about. Nearly 100 miles away, the team at Mayo Clinic that was remotely monitoring Dan’s heart could see the truth. Looking back, Dan O’Bryan now can see the connection between his dizzy spells and episodes of lightheadedness during spring 2021, and the slow heart […]
Tags: Atrial Fibrillation, Dan O'Bryan, Dr. Diana Trifa, Dr. Omar Yasin, Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Mayo Clinic Laboratories
September 9, 2021
In my own words: Heart health for myself and my family
Sandra Driggers is a nurse at Mayo Clinic in Florida who works in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine. This is her heart health story. I struggled with my weight for most of my life. I never really gave a lot of thought to being healthy (or unhealthy), or about how my weight and lifestyle played […]
Tags: Cardiology, Dr. Carolyn Landolfo, heart attack, Heart Disease, heart health, Sandra Driggers, Sandy Driggers, women's heart health
August 19, 2021
Getting to the heart of the matter
Ten years ago, Elizabeth Scovil, a 46-year-old wife and mother of four from Forest City, Florida, collapsed at the gym. Luckily some local paramedics were there and came to her rescue. But then it happened again. “I am an athlete. I was always working out,” says Elizabeth. She began experiencing episodes of dizziness, and her […]
Tags: Cardiology, Dr. Carolyn Landolfo, Dr. Venkatachalam, Elizabeth Scovil, Heart Disease, MayoClinicFL, Patient Story, Ventricular tachycardia, Women's Heart Clinic
February 17, 2021
Complex heart surgery gives 6-year-old a second chance at childhood
Amy and Josh Porter were looking for the best pediatric heart surgery program to give their son the best chance at a regular childhood. Then they learned that two of them were working together in a new collaboration. When Mitchell Porter was born, he was diagnosed with heart defects that typically require multiple surgeries over […]
Tags: cardiovascular surgery, Dr. Joseph Dearani, Mayo Clinic Children's Center
January 14, 2021
84-year-old patient reaches milestone on a left ventricular assist device
Gayle Wilkerson has lived for 10 years with a left ventricular assist device, a mechanical pump that helps a damaged heart pump blood. The milestone is one not many patients reach. Gayle Wilkerson doesn’t accept hero status. Her care team at Mayo Clinic disagrees. At age 84, Gayle, holds the honor of living on a left ventricular […]
Tags: congestive heart failure, Dr. Robert Scott, Left Ventricular Assist Device
December 29, 2020
Transplant patient says thanks ‘with all my old heart and new one’
Ernie Hernandez was battling congestive heart failure when he learned his liver was failing, too. On Oct. 26, he found answers to both issues with the first combined heart and liver transplant in Arizona. Ernie Hernandez was used to the hot Arizona sun. He was born and raised in Phoenix and worked as a contractor […]
Tags: congestive heart failure