Cardiology & Cardiac Surgery
September 9, 2021 · Leave a Comment
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 […]
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Tags: Cardiology, Dr. Carolyn Landolfo, heart attack, Heart Disease, heart health, Sandra Driggers, Sandy Driggers, women's heart health
August 19, 2021 · Leave a Comment
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 […]
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Tags: Cardiology, Dr. Carolyn Landolfo, Dr. Venkatachalam, Elizabeth Scovil, Heart Disease, MayoClinicFL, Patient Story, Ventricular tachycardia, Women's Heart Clinic
February 17, 2021 · Leave a Comment
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 […]
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Tags: cardiovascular surgery, Dr. Joseph Dearani, Mayo Clinic Children's Center
January 14, 2021 · Leave a Comment
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 […]
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Tags: congestive heart failure, Dr. Robert Scott, Left Ventricular Assist Device
December 29, 2020 · Leave a Comment
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 […]
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Tags: congestive heart failure
December 24, 2020 · Leave a Comment
10 years, 2 brothers, 2 transplants: the Wilson brothers’ story
The Wilson brothers’ connection goes deeper than the average siblings. They both were in serious need of a heart transplant. The brothers now have new hearts, a new perspective on life, and a new purpose. On the surface, John and Mark Wilson are model brothers. Growing up, the two would playfully pick on each other […]
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Tags: Churg-Strauss syndrome, Heart tranplant, Left Ventricular Assist Device
December 15, 2020 · Leave a Comment
Joelle’s journey to a new heart
Cardiomyopathy is a medical term for a number of genetic and nongenetic diseases involving the heart muscle that adversely affect the heart’s mechanical pumping function and its electrical system. It can occur in people of all ages, races or genders, and it is a frequent cause of sudden cardiac arrest and sudden cardiac death. For […]
December 15, 2020 · Leave a Comment
Israeli patient tells his own “life-changing” story of heart surgery during COVID-19 pandemic
When Yiftah Geva was diagnosed with a heart condition several years ago, he never expected his journey to treatment would take him 6,000 miles away from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was almost six years ago when Yiftah Geva began taking medication to stabilize his blood pressure. Doctors wanted to investigate the cause of […]
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Tags: Dr. Hartzell Schaff, Dr. Steve Ommen, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
May 4, 2020 · Leave a Comment
Rising Above Two Challenging Health Conditions
For years, Joey Del Toro has lived with medical conditions that have affected his abilities and appearance. But Joey hasn’t let his health concerns define him. Instead, he’s focused his energy on moving beyond them and excelling at the sports he loves.
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Tags: Alopecia areata, Cardiovascular Medicine, Dermatology, Dr. Bryan Cannon, Dr. Megha Tollefson, Mayo Clinic Children's Center, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome
April 6, 2020 · Leave a Comment
Embracing His Heart’s Passion, Despite Congenital Heart Defect
Woody Hust, an athlete and outdoorsman, is living his dream in the Rocky Mountains. It’s a picture-perfect existence made even more special because he’s achieved his goals despite having a congenital heart defect. Thanks to the lifelong, personalized care Woody’s received from his Mayo Clinic cardiologist, the sky continues to be the limit for him.
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Tags: Center for Congenital Heart Disease, Congenital heart defects, Dr. Allison Cabalka, Dr. Joseph Dearani, Mayo Clinic Children's Center, Pediatric Cardiology