For years, a lifelong athlete was sidelined by chronic wrist pain that took more than just her ability to compete — it took a part of her identity. Now, thanks to an innovative surgical approach at Mayo Clinic, a Minnesota woman is back on the court, returning to the game that means so much to her. 

Watch: Innovative wrist surgery helps athlete return to the pickleball court after decades of pain

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (3:06) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

"Being an athlete has always been a part of my life," says Tami Lucius.

A former college basketball player, the 54-year-old from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, also loved playing tennis. But devastating wrist pain kept her off the court for two decades.

"I didn't know what it was, but it was always on the outside of my wrist," she says. "I really had a sense of loss with my life and with that sense of community from not being able to be in sports. And then a girlfriend of mine from high school, out of the blue, said, 'Hey, come and play pickle with me.' I knew pickleball was something that I was going to love."

But unfortunately, almost immediately, Tami's wrist pain returned.

"It got so bad that I couldn't even do the acts of daily living. So even making a bed, washing my hair, it didn't matter what I was doing, the pain was always there and the instability was always there," she says.

Rather than giving up another sport and a community she loved, Tami came to Mayo Clinic to see Dr. Sanj Kakar, a hand and wrist specialist.

"She was struggling. I think the biggest frustration for her was the pain was affecting not only sport but also activities of daily living," Dr. Kakar says.

"He was such a kind person, and he knew that, for me, this journey was more than just the pickle, it was part of my life and my identity. And he took the time to really share with me what he felt we needed to do," Tami says.

"Just by listening to her, examining her, looking at the imaging, we then were able to pinpoint the major causes of her problem," says Dr. Kakar. "The TFCC, or the triangular fibrocartilage complex, sits right in this area. She had a problem not only with that TFCC, or that sort of shock absorber for that part of the wrist, but also the tendon. So for Tami — especially with sport — hitting tophand, topspin, forehand, backhands — anything with twisting and grip would cause pain in here."

Wrist surgery

With Tami's wrist problem diagnosed, Dr. Kakar recommended a novel surgical technique he and his colleagues developed at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

"It's what we call the over-the-top TFCC technique, which allows us to more accurately place stitches, or sutures, in the tear exactly where the tear is, in a more minimally invasive manner," he says. "It's a very precise method to fixing an area."

Tears in the TFCC often don’t appear on traditional MRI scans and may only be identified once a camera is placed inside the joint. Dr. Kakar uses a smaller, more flexible camera system, allowing for clearer visualization and more precise diagnosis and treatment.

The technique has several benefits compared to some conventional wrist repair approaches, including faster completion, less radiation exposure and lower fracture risk.

Back on the court

After successful surgery at Mayo Clinic, Tami is now back on the pickleball court, three times a week — pain-free.

"My wrist is the most stable joint on my entire body today," Tami says. "It does bring tears to my eyes because I didn't realize how much I missed sports in general. I get such a sense of identity who I am, my passion for competition, my passion for people. Mayo didn't just give me my wrist back and the ability to play pickle again, Mayo gave me my life back."

Related post:

• Mayo Clinic Minute: How to prevent injuries when playing pickleball

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Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon describes advances in care for common back, neck problems

ROCHESTER, Minn. — People worldwide seek medical care for back and neck pain, which can interfere with sleep, mobility and daily life. For individuals who need surgery for spinal conditions, advances in robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and motion-preserving implants are expanding treatment options and allowing for more personalized treatment, according to Ahmad Nassr, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic.

Dr. Nassr treats a wide range of spinal conditions that can affect mobility and cause pain, including:

• Herniated disk, a problem with one of the rubbery cushions, called disks, which sit between the bones that stack to make the spine.
• Spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the space around the spinal cord that can put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves that travel through the spine.
• Scoliosis, a side-to-side curve of the spine that can cause pain and breathing problems. 
• Spinal tumors, lesions that start in or around the spine.
• Degenerative spine conditions that most commonly affect older adults, such as degenerative disk disease and adult degenerative scoliosis. These conditions can cause severe symptoms, including stiffness, numbness or tingling from nerve damage.

Research has shown that low back pain is the leading cause of disability around the world, and the elderly are one of the most vulnerable populations.

"My practice is to assess each of my patients holistically, regardless of their age, to determine whether they can benefit from spinal surgery based on the treatment goal, whether it's to reduce pain, restore their ability to work or improve their quality of life," Dr. Nassr explains.

Motion-preserving alternatives to fusion

Many spinal conditions — such as degenerative disk disease, scoliosis and spinal stenosis — used to be treated with fusion surgery, in which two or more spinal bones are connected and heal as one bone. The procedure reduces pain but also limits spinal flexibility.

Motion-preserving devices, such as artificial disk replacement, offer alternatives that maintain more natural spinal movement.

Dr. Nassr served as principal investigator at Mayo Clinic in randomized controlled trials that led to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the TOPS replacement device, which stabilizes the spine while preserving movement. The device can be used to treat pinched nerves and spondylolisthesis, which is a slippage between two vertebrae.

Mayo Clinic was the first medical center in the U.S. to implant the FDA-approved Minimally Invasive Deformity Correction (MID-C) device to treat scoliosis. 

Dr. Nassr and other researchers are studying next-generation implants designed to replace both the disk and facet joints to maintain natural flexibility.

Robotics and minimally invasive surgery

Surgeries that once required large incisions can now be performed through small openings, reducing postoperative pain, helping patients recover faster and shortening hospital stays.

Conditions such as herniated disks, misalignment of the spine, spinal stenosis or instability can now be treated with a minimally invasive approach.

Robotic-assisted platforms, combined with CT scans and MRI, allow surgeons to plan complex spinal procedures and determine the most precise pathways for implants before surgery begins.

"Advances in robotic-assisted surgery, AI, 3D models and motion-preserving implants are allowing us to treat complex spinal conditions with greater precision and less disruption to back muscles," Dr. Nassr says. "These technologies are changing how spine procedures are performed and can support faster recovery for patients."

Advances in anesthesia, including specialized nerve blocks, also have significantly improved postoperative comfort and shortened hospital stays.

Personalized surgery with 3D models

In complex cases, surgeons can create 3D-printed models of a patient's spine — including nerves and blood vessels — and design custom implants tailored to the person's anatomy. These models allow surgeons to rehearse procedures before the operation and refine surgical planning.

Complex cases — such as advanced adult scoliosis, revision surgery or spinal tumors — often involve a multidisciplinary team of specialists, including orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists and rehabilitation specialists.

AI in spine care

AI is integrated into multiple aspects of spine care at Mayo Clinic. AI-supported tools assist in analyzing clinical data to guide treatment decisions and enhance surgical planning. In research, Dr. Nassr uses AI to better assess bone health and osteoporosis for patients who may need spine surgery.

"Advances in spine surgery enhance patient care as well as our ability to provide more personalized treatments," says Dr. Nassr.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Caroline Auger, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post AI, robotics and motion-preserving implants expand spine surgery options for patients appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

PHOENIX — This National Donate Life Month, Mayo Clinic is highlighting how innovation is shaping the future of transplant care.

"Over the last 50 years, transplant safety and outcomes have improved dramatically, making it a successful treatment for many patients. Since joining Mayo Clinic in 1976, I've seen how teamwork, research and high-volume expertise have driven advances," says Sylvester Sterioff, M.D., retired transplant surgeon.

Mayo Clinic performed its first transplant in 1963, marking the start of its pioneering work in transplantation. At that time, surgeons didn't typically specialize in transplants full time. The introduction of improved immunosuppression therapies in the 1980s greatly expanded capabilities, and surgical techniques have progressed from traditional open procedures to today's advanced methods.

"These innovations now allow us to accept a broader range of organs, and preservation techniques have improved considerably," says Dr. Sterioff. "Over the years, I've witnessed success rates in transplantation rise from 35% to over 90%. Mayo Clinic's foundation in collaborative, complex care makes these achievements possible." 

Today, that progress is enabling less invasive options for some transplant patients.

Watch: Inside the Innovation — Robotic-assisted kidney transplant

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (2:04) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

Robotic-assisted transplantation expands possibilities

Now, that legacy continues with robotic-assisted kidney transplantation, a surgical approach available at only a limited number of advanced transplant centers nationwide.

"In robotic-assisted surgery, the surgeon controls every movement, the robot isn't operating on its own," explains Alex Cortez, M.D., a Mayo Clinic transplant surgeon. "It's a tool that gives us greater precision and a magnified view, so we can perform highly advanced minimally invasive surgery. With four robotic arms and a nearby console, the surgeon can make finer, steadier motions than the human hand alone. This can also make surgery possible for some patients with more complex cases. And because it's less invasive, patients often have smaller incisions, less pain and a faster recovery."

Robotic systems have come a long way since the first robotic kidney transplant in 2001. Much like smartphones, the optics, technology and access have improved. This efficiency enables surgeons to perform additional procedures, allowing them to assist a greater number of patients. Robotic-assisted surgery still requires extensive training and uses the same core surgical principles. Advanced haptics let surgeons feel tissue resistance and suture tension, improving precision and safety. This reduces tissue harm and complications over visual cues alone, and technology will continue to evolve. 

The future of transplant innovation

Looking ahead, advances in robotics could help make complex transplants and multi-organ transplants less invasive and shape what the next era of transplant medicine looks like.

"I think this is just the beginning. We're able to merge innovation with patient-centered care to provide not only successful transplants, but also allow patients to recover faster and lead to a better quality of life," says Michelle Nguyen, M.D., a Mayo Clinic transplant surgeon. "For the first time at Mayo Clinic, we have been able to perform a simultaneous kidney and pancreas transplant using robotic surgery."  

"Looking to the future, there's a lot of innovation occurring," she adds. "With the introduction of telepresence, the robot’s video camera and microphone allow users to see, hear and interact in a remote environment.” Surgeons from all over the country will be able to watch and learn from Mayo Clinic. There are also opportunities for leveraging the data to then potentially train the robot and other machine learning models to help us make the operation much smoother. "We hope this approach will expand access to care for more patients in the future."

Mayo Clinic is not only advancing today's transplant care, but helping define what comes next. Transplant teams at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and Mayo Clinic in Arizona are continuing their work to expand robotic-assisted transplants to other organ groups and the Jacksonville campus at Mayo Clinic in Florida will be including robotics as part of their transplant practice in the near future. These advances would not be possible without the generosity of organ donors, who make lifesaving innovation possible.

Expert sources:

• Alex Cortez, M.D., transplant surgeon, Mayo Clinic in Minnesota 
• Michelle Nguyen, M.D., transplant surgeon, Mayo Clinic in Arizona

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news. 

About Mayo Clinic Transplant Center  
Mayo Clinic Transplant Center is one of the largest and most comprehensive transplant programs in the world. With programs in Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, Mayo Clinic provides seamless, coordinated care across adult heart, lung, liver, kidney and pancreas transplantation. Guided by a commitment to innovation, research and education, Mayo Clinic Transplant Center delivers world-leading outcomes, compassionate patient care and advances that shape the future of transplantation worldwide. 

Media contact: 

• Carey Stanton, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu 

The post How innovation is shaping the future of transplant care (VIDEO) appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Mayo Clinic is using new technology to help with diabetes-related kidney failure.

About 40 million people in the U.S. are living with diabetes. Most are able to manage the condition with medication and lifestyle changes.

But in some cases, diabetes, type 1 or type 2, can lead to more serious problems, including chronic kidney disease, even kidney failure, leaving patients with only one option – a pancreas-kidney transplant.

The transplant has been performed for decades. Now, surgeons at Mayo Clinic are performing the transplant robotically. 

Steve Canzoneri shares his life-changing story of becoming Mayo's first patient to undergo a robotic pancreas-kidney transplant.

Watch: Mayo Clinic announces first robotic pancreas-kidney transplant

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (2:45) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

Steve has battled diabetes most of his life. Despite treatment, diabetes still took a toll on his body and over time led to kidney failure.

"I've had some major setbacks with diabetic complications and other things like that," says Steve.

Diabetes is a disease where the body cannot properly control blood sugar levels. In most cases, the pancreas doesn't make enough insulin or the body can't use it effectively. This can damage organs, especially the kidneys, leaving some patients like Steve in need of a pancreas-kidney transplant.

Steve got the transplant he needed at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. He also became Mayo's first patient to undergo the procedure robotically.

"Traditionally, this operation involves a very big incision, but with the minimally invasive approach, we're able to offer patients a smaller incision," says transplant surgeon Michelle Nguyen, M.D. "That potentially allows the patient to recover faster, have less pain, have less risk of wound complications and just be able to return to their normal life more quickly."

For the transplant, two surgeons sit at consoles guiding the robot with hand controls. The robot does not replace the surgeon – it enhances precision, accuracy and control. 

"The robot is actually just a tool that we use in the operating room that improves our magnifications, allows us to do a minimally invasive approach," says transplant surgeon Nitin Katariya, M.D. "We are in control the whole time."

Goal of transplant

The transplant is more than just a treatment.

"For many of these patients on insulin, we can try to cure both issues: the kidney disease and what may have caused their kidney disease in the first place, their diabetes. And so we look at kidney-pancreas transplant together as a way to attack both problems and solve both problems," adds Dr. Katariya.

Steve's dad noticed an improvement right away.

"He said to me that I finally sound like his son again," says Steve.

Steve was discharged less than a week after his transplant. 

"He’s recovering very smoothly. He is done with dialysis, his kidney function is pretty much normal now, he is off insulin," says Dr. Nguyen.

For Steve, that means a future free of limitations.

"To be able to live, and travel again, be able to live life, and having that renewed spirit of being able to just do whatever I want–whenever I want–and not be tied down somewhere," says Steve.

Not everyone is a candidate for the robotic pancreas-kidney transplant. Doctors recommend talking to your healthcare team to determine what options are best for you.

Related stories:

• Mayo Clinic surgeons perform first robotic-assisted kidney transplant in Minnesota
• How a pancreas transplant can cure diabetes
• Mayo Clinic Minute: Reasons to be a living kidney donor
• From donation to Kilimanjaro: Living kidney donor defies limits (VIDEO)

The post Mayo Clinic announces first robotic pancreas-kidney transplant (VIDEO) appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Mayo Clinic in Florida recently performed its first robot-assisted shoulder arthroplasty, marking the arrival of enhanced, precision orthopedic care for patients in the Southeast and bolstering Mayo Clinic's commitment to advancing models of care across the organization.

Shoulder arthroplasties — also known as shoulder replacements — are reserved for patients with shoulder osteoarthritis whose symptoms are not manageable with nonsurgical treatments such as physical therapy, injections and medications. Shoulder replacements have traditionally been performed using manual instrumentation and surgeon-estimated alignment. While this approach has been effective, it is inherently limited by visual estimation and anatomic variability in patients. 

"What's happened over the past 10 to 15 years in orthopedics is we've started using computer navigation and now robotic assistance," says Dr. Erick Marigi, a Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon. "In the hip and the knee, they've been doing robot-assisted replacements for years, but for the shoulder (because it’s a smaller complex joint), it's just been harder to develop, until now."

In manual shoulder replacements, surgeons make an incision and use guides to position implants. Though 3D computer planning has been available and is helpful, execution in the operating room has remained manual.

"We're no longer limited by our eyes and using a guide, which has a few millimeters of variance," says Dr. Marigi. "Now it's one degree of variance and under a millimeter of precision."

Another key advantage of robot-assisted shoulder replacements is improved consistency and reproducibility, particularly in complex cases. The technology simplifies procedures for patients with significant bone wear or other challenges that make conventional techniques difficult, allowing surgeons to achieve more predictable results. 

Long-term efficacy data for robot-assisted shoulder replacements are emerging, but evidence from robot-assisted hip and knee replacements is promising. Cases once considered highly complex can now be approached more like standard procedures.

Innovation and integration

Dr. Marigi says the adoption and integration of robot-assisted surgery is a testament to Mayo Clinic's spirit of bridging innovation into action.

"It is the spirit of Mayo Clinic in general: constantly pushing the envelope and providing solutions that help patients," he says.

Dr. Marigi's mentors, Drs. Joaquin Sanchez-Sotelo and John Sperling, both orthopedic surgeons at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, laid the foundation for robot-assisted orthopedic surgeries across Mayo Clinic. 

"Collaborative efforts have never been better across Mayo Clinic as a healthcare enterprise," says Dr. Sanchez-Sotelo. "The implementation of robot-assisted shoulder arthroplasty across all campuses allows us to offer the same quality care to all our patients, regardless of geography. It also facilitates lines of collaboration for innovation and research across our institution."

Dr. Sperling, who in April 2024 completed the world's first robot-assisted shoulder surgery, says, "Robotic shoulder arthroplasty has the potential to significantly improve our ability to enhance the quality of care for our patients worldwide."

Later that year, Dr. Sanchez-Sotelo also performed a robotic total shoulder replacement. 

"Our new generations will embrace robot-assisted surgery and enjoy iterative processes through which digital enabling technology will only continue to improve," says Dr. Sanchez-Sotelo.

Among that new generation is Dr. Jeff Hassebrock, an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, who performed the first robot-assisted shoulder replacement in the Southwest, extending the site's leadership in robotic orthopedic surgery. He believes that the intersection of artificial intelligence, preoperative planning and robotic procedural execution will lead to a renaissance in how standard shoulder replacements are performed.

"Mayo Clinic's investments in advanced technologies reflect our commitment to providing innovative, patient-centered care," says Dr. Hassebrock. "Robotics improves the precision and execution of surgical plans that meet the evolving needs of orthopedic care. The era of pre- and postoperative measurement is at hand."

Dr. Marigi believes Mayo Clinic surgeons will continue shepherding this next phase of innovation in orthopedic care. Now, for patients in the Southeast, the technology offers access to innovation closer to home.

"Patients will all have access to this internationally renowned technology locally. That was a big deal for our team," says Dr. Marigi. "I think this is going to be one of our pillars in the future, and the people leading that charge will be Mayo Clinic surgeons."

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ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic research identified a powerful new way to improve the prediction of a patient's long-term cardiovascular disease risk by enhancing a routinely performed imaging test with artificial intelligence (AI). Heart disease develops over time and remains the leading cause of death worldwide, so identifying risk early is critical to preventing heart attack, stroke and other serious outcomes.

The study highlights the growing role of AI in helping experts uncover new insights from existing medical data. Findings were presented at the 2026 American College of Cardiology Scientific Session with simultaneous publication in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

The study followed nearly 12,000 adults for approximately 16 years. Investigators applied AI to participants' standard coronary artery calcium scans to measure fat surrounding the heart. They compared the predictive value of this measurement with and in combination with two standard risk assessment approaches: the American Heart Association PREVENT equation, which incorporates traditional factors such as age, sex, blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and other variables, and the coronary artery calcium score, which measures calcified plaque in coronary arteries.

The findings show that the volume of heart fat could be used independently to predict cardiovascular events. It significantly improved the overall accuracy of long-term risk prediction when combined with the coronary artery calcium score and the PREVENT equation, especially among patients in low-risk categories.

"Pericardial fat has been recognized as a marker of cardiovascular risk, but this study shows how we can now measure it automatically and use it to meaningfully improve risk prediction, especially in patients at borderline or intermediate risk where clinical decisions are often less clear," says Zahra Esmaeili, first author and researcher in the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Mayo Clinic. "This opens the door to more personalized prevention strategies."

Key findings:

• Nearly 10% of participants developed cardiovascular disease during follow-up.
• Higher fat volume around the heart was independently associated with increased risk of cardiovascular events, even after accounting for traditional risk factors and coronary calcium scores.
• Participants with the highest coronary fat volume had elevated risk across all coronary calcium levels.
• Adding coronary fat measurements improved the accuracy of predicting cardiovascular events beyond established models.

Coronary artery calcium scoring is widely used to assess cardiovascular risk. This study shows that additional information can be extracted from the same scan without extra testing or cost.

"Because this measurement comes from imaging that many patients are already receiving, it represents a practical and scalable way to enhance cardiovascular risk assessment," says senior author Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., a preventive cardiologist and co-director of the AI in Cardiology program at Mayo Clinic. "It could help clinicians intervene earlier and more effectively."

Researchers note that further studies will help determine how best to incorporate coronary fat measurement into routine clinical care and whether it can guide treatment decisions.

The manuscript, Deep Learning–Derived Pericardial Adipose Tissue by ECG-Gated Computed Tomography Predicts Cardiovascular Events Beyond Coronary Calcium, and a complete list of authors is published in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Terri Malloy, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Including AI-derived heart fat measurement improves accuracy of cardiovascular disease risk prediction appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

COPD is a long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe after airways become inflamed and narrowed and mucus builds up. COPD can also make sleeping more difficult, affecting a patient's energy levels and overall health. These factors can influence participation in pulmonary rehabilitation, which includes a combination of exercise, education and support.

Researchers set out to understand whether a patient's sleep quality could help predict their level of participation in remote rehabilitation activities.

"As a scientist and engineer, I wanted to explore how wearable data could improve the drop-out rates of remote pulmonary rehabilitation programs. By better understanding a patient's day-to-day life, we can make more personalized and potentially more effective care plan recommendations," says Stephanie Zawada, Ph.D., M.S., a Mayo Clinic research associate and first author of the study. Dr. Zawada is committed to finding ways to use data to personalize care through her work on the team at the Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery.

In the study, researchers found that using baseline sleep data from a wrist activity monitor, combined with machine learning and traditional clinical indicators, improved the prediction of how consistently patients would participate in a 12-week home pulmonary rehabilitation program.

The team analyzed already collected sleep measures, as part of a large study aimed to test a home-based program of pulmonary rehabilitation led by Roberto Benzo, M.D., M.S., and the Mindful Breathing Laboratory. Investigators generated a Composite Sleep Health Score before the home-based pulmonary rehabilitation began. At the end of the 12-week program, analysis showed that including the health score improved prediction of patient engagement over the study period.

This information can help clinicians better tailor rehabilitation programs and identify patients who may benefit from additional support. It also may inform the design of future remote-care programs.

"Adding wearable data provides a more comprehensive view of a patient's daily pattern," says Emma Fortune Ngufor, Ph.D., senior author of the study and a Mayo Clinic researcher in the Kern Center. She noted that sleep data is one of several inputs that can help inform care decisions, alongside clinical assessments and patient-reported information.

Researchers note that additional investigation is needed to validate and refine the model in broader patient populations before broader clinical application.

For a complete list of authors, disclosures and funding, review the study.

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About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Terri Malloy, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

The post Mayo Clinic study finds wearable data may help predict patient engagement in remote COPD rehabilitation appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Innovation in healthcare begins with curiosity — and with caregivers who are trained to ask better questions. At Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education (MCSGME), the Clinical Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Academy helps residents and fellows build an entrepreneurial mindset by integrating hands‑on innovation, collaboration and problem‑solving directly into their training.

That spirit was on full display during Platform Experience Day on Dec. 18, where trainees explored real‑world scenarios on Mayo Clinic Platform to see how de‑identified, large‑scale data can inform clinical decisions, accelerate research and spark innovation in everyday practice.Experiences like this — hallmarks of the CIE program — foster leadership skills in trainees, accelerating their ability to affect meaningful change in the practice. 

Watch to learn more about how MCSGME is leveraging today's data‑driven, technology‑enabled learning environment for its trainees. 

Hands-on exploration meets real-world questions

During the immersive experience, trainees rotated through case studies and brainstorming exercises, then tested their own questions on the Platform. They learned to define cohorts, explore associations, check feasibility and examine population‑level outcomes such as hospitalizations and emergency department visits. These kinds of early indicators emerge when exploring data through Mayo Clinic Platform, one of the largest sets of de-identified healthcare data in the world.

One team explored how often patients completed their pre‑appointment lab work before seeing an endocrinologist. Using Platform, they quickly created "case" and "control" groups based on whether labs were completed before or after the visit. From there, they could easily compare the number of consults in each group, see who referred patients and understand why patients were being sent to Endocrinology in the first place. The process showed how helpful Platform can be for answering practical clinical questions without the burden of manual chart review.

"Participating in this experience significantly reinforced my belief that digital health and data-driven medicine are not simply future concepts, but essential components of modern clinical care," says Leticia Sandoval, M.D., a participant in the CIE Academy. "It highlighted how much high-quality data we already generate — across labs, imaging, genomics and clinical documentation — and how transformative it can be when those data are meaningfully integrated rather than siloed."

Creating superusers who accelerate progress

Residents and fellows who participated in Platform Experience Day are becoming "superusers" who can serve as go‑to resources in their departments. CIE created guidance for GME leaders on how Platform-trained learners can support innovation within their departments, leveraging the trainees' new expertise when program directors may not have had the time to dive into the Platform as much as the trainees did.

"If trainees know the pathway and have baseline experience, they can jump two or three steps ahead," says Rena Hale, Ph.D., director of the Clinical Innovation and Entrepreneurship program. "They're not stuck asking, 'What is this? 'They're already applying it to real problems."

During the event, trainees used the basic version of Mayo Clinic Platform to explore their own questions and get a sense of what the tool can reveal. They gained a clear understanding of how to incorporate the Platform into future work, and they also learned that the full version can provide deeper insights with the right guidance.

"Going into the session, I had only a general sense of what the Platform could do," says Evan Wilder, M.D., a fourth‑year gastroenterology fellow at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and a trainee in the CIE Academy. "Getting to use it firsthand showed me how powerful it is for looking at large groups of patients and spotting patterns you wouldn't see otherwise."

Building confidence that benefits the institution

As more residents and fellows show interest in hands‑on innovation, Mayo Clinic continues to expand opportunities like these across the organization. The ongoing partnership between MCSGME and Mayo Clinic Platform will create even more ways for trainees to explore real‑world questions and build skills that shape their future careers 

CIE is also a part of a growing MCSGME initiative to build additional long-term experiences designed to help trainees shape and differentiate their careers. Similar to CIE, these academies — such as the Clinician Educator Academy and the Resident Leadership Academy — offer structured, yearlong experiences that support professional growth and open doors to new paths within the practice 

Ultimately, says Dr. Hale, Platform Experience Day is about confidence. It equips learners to ask better questions, choose the right tools and move with purpose. "No one walks out a master," she says, "but they do leave with knowledge, experience and the ability to act. That speed and clarity are difference makers for our trainees and for Mayo Clinic."

The post Residents and fellows step into the Platform ‘sandbox’ to turn data into better care appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Amir Lerman, M.D., a cardiovascular physician-scientist, mentor, research leader and active Mayo Clinic staff member, passed away Feb. 23 at age 69. During his nearly 40 years at Mayo Clinic, he became one of the world’s foremost authorities on microvascular function and cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Lerman earned his doctor of science degree and M.D. in Israel before joining Mayo Clinic in 1987 as a resident. His research reshaped the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of vascular injury and ischemic heart disease. Focusing on early detection, he and his teams developed novel diagnostic tests, imaging and regenerative therapies to treat and cure patients with these conditions around the world.

Distinguished career of innovation

Dr. Lerman established essential cardiovascular infrastructure at Mayo, including the Mayo Clinic Cardiovascular Research Center and coronary physiology and imaging, among many others. Under his direction, the Mayo Clinic Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory pioneered in vivo testing protocols for endothelial and microvascular function that became best practices worldwide.

A Barbara Woodward Lips Professor of Medicine, Dr. Lerman authored nearly 1,000 peer-reviewed publications that have been cited more than 69,000 times, making him among the most influential cardiovascular investigators in the world. He served as vice chair for research in the Mayo Clinic Department of Cardiovascular Medicine from 2012 to 2024, held several patents and maintained continuous National Institutes of Health funding along with support from the American Heart Association and many other sources.

In 2023, Dr. Lerman was part of the Mayo AI-ECG team, which applies artificial intelligence to electrocardiogram workflows, that received the Mayo Clinic Research shield's Team Science Award for pioneering the use of deep neural networks to detect cardiovascular disease from standard electrocardiograms. In 2024, he was named a Distinguished Mayo Clinic Investigator — Mayo Clinic's highest honor for researchers, recognizing sustained scholarship, creative achievement and excellence in leadership and mentorship.

Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees and Board of Governors member Charanjit Rihal, M.D., a cardiovascular medicine consultant, nominated Dr. Lerman for the award. "It is remarkable that people from numerous countries flock to his laboratory; it takes a special individual to bridge potential geopolitical divides in the interest of our patients, science, mentees and Mayo Clinic," Dr. Rihal wrote in his 2024 nomination letter.

Dr. Rihal says Dr. Lerman's loss will be felt not only among his colleagues, patients and the Mayo Clinic community, but by the field of cardiovascular research and treatment.

"Dr. Lerman touched so many lives in so many ways," Dr. Rihal says. "He fostered innovation through internal grants, AI initiatives, faculty development programs and novel models of philanthropic and corporate partnership. He led his mentees to leadership positions around the world, particularly in his native Israel, encouraging them to keep their focus always on the patients whose lives they could improve."

Values and an enduring legacy

Paul Friedman, M.D., chair of the Mayo Clinic Department of Cardiology, says Dr. Lerman embodied Mayo Clinic’s values in his daily work and in his relationships with patients, trainees and peers.

"Dr. Lerman was an exceptional physician, scientist, leader, builder, innovator and creative thinker. The programs he built, the science he advanced and the leaders he inspired stand as a durable legacy," says Dr. Friedman. "Through those he mentored and the patients who benefit from his discoveries, Dr. Lerman’s influence on cardiovascular medicine will endure for generations."

The post Mayo Clinic remembers Dr. Amir Lerman, visionary cardiovascular researcher appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic Platform_Accelerate has announced its latest cohort, welcoming 18 national and international healthcare technology companies that are creating cutting-edge digital solutions to advance health innovation.

Through the Accelerate program, these companies will participate in an immersive, 30-week program that offers access to expert mentors, industry-leading technologies and millions of de-identified, longitudinal clinical records to develop and validate artificial intelligence (AI)-driven healthcare solutions.

"The future of healthcare depends on clinical insight and technology advancing together," says John Halamka, M.D., Dwight and Dian Diercks President of Mayo Clinic Platform. "Accelerate brings entrepreneurs together with Mayo Clinic clinicians and other leading experts to turn bold ideas into practical solutions that can truly improve how care is delivered. It's one more way we're responsibly advancing AI to benefit patients around the world."

The 18 companies participating in the new cohort are working to address complex healthcare challenges. The cohort includes:

• 100ms builds AI agents that automate patient access workflows for specialty practices, including gastroenterology, allergy/immunology and neurology.
• NousLogic Telehealth provides WFH: Wellness from Home, a remote elderly patient monitoring platform that tracks vital signs and real-time medication adherence, including AI-based medication dispensing. 
• MyBackHub is an AI-powered digital health platform that delivers personalized, nonoperative back pain care using AI to triage patients and guide treatment and care coordination.
• Cura AI builds a patient context graph that unifies fragmented patient data into a portable, patient-owned record, enabling conversational AI to support early-risk detection and preventive care.
• SPRYT developsAsa, an AI medical receptionist that empowers patients to book, change and pay for medical appointments via text or instant messaging in their preferred language.
• NeoCure Inc. is developing an AI solution that analyzes bedside vital data to enable timely, specialist-free detection of an eye disease affecting preterm infants.
• Xcoo provides Chrovis, an AI-powered service that supports genomic cancer diagnosis and treatment decisions with clinician-ready insights and patient-friendly reports.
• YOBO Health offers a care coordination platform designed to help prevent hospital readmissions among patients with cardio-renal-metabolic conditions.
• Canary Applied Intelligence delivers a patient-centric AI platform for cardio-renal care that identifies high-risk patients early and enables proactive, data-driven interventions across the care journey.
• Curenetics is a U.K.-based AI-driven health technology company that predicts individual patient response to cancer immunotherapy by integrating clinical, genomic and imaging data.
• Bluevia Health is an applied AI platform that analyzes multimodal clinical data to detect postoperative deterioration earlier, helping health systems identify complications sooner and improve surgical outcomes.
• Precision Imaging Inc. is a Tokyo-based medtech startup specializing in AI-powered intraoperative navigation that uses computer vision to deliver cost-effective, high-precision guidance for orthopedic surgery, starting with total hip arthroplasty.
• Avedian provides the Compass Decision Support platform, delivering operational insights that help health systems improve efficiency, performance and capacity planning.
• Hoopcare reduces surgical risk and improves operating room efficiency by automating preoperative evaluation and predicting postoperative complications with AI.
• Hera is an AI-powered male fertility platform that combines testing with predictive analytics to deliver personalized sperm health insights for patients, clinics and fertility programs.
• EW2Health is a digital health platform that uses predictive behavioral analytics to support GLP-1–based obesity care by forecasting weight trends and enabling proactive, personalized interventions to improve adherence and long-term metabolic health.
• Ecotone AI applies frontier AI and full-genome analysis to uncover disease-driving genetic mechanisms and accelerate precision therapies for rare diseases at scale.
• OneMedic is a Vietnam-based health tech company using an AI-driven ecosystem to enable early detection and proactive management of chronic disease through integrated, patient-centered care in a primary care setting.

"The innovation we're seeing in this February cohort is a testament to the accelerating pace of AI in medicine," says Jamie Sundsbak, director of the Accelerate program. "We are proud to support these 18 companies as they transition from revolutionary concepts to scalable solutions that can help define the next decade of healthcare."

The Accelerate program offers multiple ways to participate through a 30-week immersive program or a multiyear engagement pathway.

To learn more about the program or to apply for an upcoming cohort, visit Mayo Clinic Platform_Accelerate.

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About Mayo Clinic Platform  
Founded on Mayo Clinic's dedication to patient-centered care, Mayo Clinic Platform enables new knowledge, new solutions and new technologies through collaborations with health technology innovators to create a healthier world. To learn more, visit Mayo Clinic Platform. 

About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news.

Media contact:

• Caroline Auger, Mayo Clinic Communications, newsbureau@mayo.edu

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