Heart & Vascular

You may be one of the millions of people wearing a smartwatch that measures heart rhythm. But do you know what the gadget’s information means? And more importantly, do you know what to do if your watch alerts you to an irregular heartbeat? “If a patient notices that they are experiencing irregular heartbeats, that could … Read More

Robot-assisted surgery has become a more widespread procedure across multiple areas in medicine. Cardiac surgeons have adopted robotic techniques throughout the years due to the benefits the procedure provides. Such examples include reduced muscle cutting, no broken or displaced bones to gain access to the operation site, and reduced recovery time compared with traditional cardiac … Read More

Over dinner, Sonia Jamin’s dad cried tears of joy. When Sonia revealed she was pregnant with her second child, her father was so moved that he wept, laughed and bought wine for the entire restaurant. The following morning found her dad crying again. This time, though, he was terrified. “The next call he gets from … Read More

Diabetes. High blood pressure. A history of smoking. Each of these conditions raise your risk of carotid artery disease, one of the most common causes of ischemic stroke. “Carotid artery disease involves fatty plaque clogging the arteries in your neck that deliver blood to your brain,” said Emaad Farooqui, M.D. a vascular surgeon at Hoag. … Read More

Abi Basu and his wife traveled to India to perform a religious ritual honoring their deceased parents, but it was his own mortality that faced a terrifying threat. Multiple times on the journey, Abi lost his breath for several minutes. At night he awoke, gasping for air. He blacked out on a train platform. He … Read More

Photo: FinisherPix Gina’s heart “paused” twice while she was in the ER with one of the longest atrial fibrillation (Afib) episodes she had ever experienced. It was 2022, and a newly FDA-approved dual chamber leadless (wireless) pacemaker was available through a clinical trial in only a few select sites across the country. Thankfully for Gina, … Read More

Heather shares her story of surviving an aortic dissection and how she supports other survivors who have experienced the same.

Hear how Jean survived and thrived following an aortic emergency at the Jeffrey M. Carlton Heart & Vascular Institute at Hoag.

Semaglutide, the active ingredient in the diabetes and weight loss medications Ozempic and Wegovy was in the spotlight last year for its role in celebrity diet crazes. But this drug seems to have something other Hollywood fads don’t: data backing it up. In a large international study, semaglutide was found to reduce the risk of … Read More

Heart disease is the number one killer in the U.S., but each one of us has the power to stop this killer in its tracks. “Reducing the risk factors associated with heart disease can dramatically reduce an individual’s risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event,” said John Nan M.D., interventional cardiologist with the Jeffrey M. Carlton … Read More