On June 17, 2026, Kayla Gengler walked through the doors of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, with her husband, AJ, and their youngest daughter, Ida. 

The date carried more than one meaning. It was Ida's first birthday. It was Kayla and AJ's ninth wedding anniversary. And it marked one year since a rare and life-changing obstetric emergency required multiple Mayo Clinic care teams to respond within minutes. 

Watch: Suspected amniotic fluid embolism leads to maternal cardiac arrest and rapid ECMO response at Mayo Clinic

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (2:28) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

What happened when Kayla suddenly collapsed at 39 weeks pregnant? 

A year earlier, Kayla, then 33, was 39 weeks pregnant with the couple’s third child. She was at Mayo Clinic receiving care late in her pregnancy when her condition suddenly changed. While being monitored, Kayla reported severe nausea and heart palpitations before losing consciousness.  

Kayla’s care team, including obstetrician Vanessa Torbenson, M.D., immediately called for an emergency cesarean delivery.  

"Moving rapidly was essential. If too much time passed, blood flow to the uterus could have been reduced, putting both mother and baby in danger," says Dr. Torbenson.  

In situations this complex and fast-moving, having obstetrics, anesthesia, and critical care available within minutes can make a crucial difference. Those teams began mobilizing simultaneously as Kayla's condition deteriorated. 

Four minutes later, Ida was born safely as another team continued working to stabilize Kayla.  

Then, Kayla's heart stopped. 

How did Mayo Clinic respond when Kayla went into cardiac arrest? 

When Kayla went into cardiac arrest, Mayo Clinic’s ECMO team was activated immediately.  

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, is a form of temporary life support that can assist heart and lung function during critical illness. It requires specialized equipment and a team certified to manage patients whose condition can change rapidly. 

At Mayo Clinic, maternal cardiac arrest triggers immediate consultation with the ECMO team, allowing specialists to assess the need for advanced life support while resuscitation continues. In Kayla's case, ECMO preparation began as other teams worked to restore and stabilize her circulation. 

Troy Seelhammer, M.D., an anesthesiologist, critical care physician and medical director of Mayo Clinic's ECMO Program, was on call that morning. 

"We had a very short window to try to save Kayla’s life," Dr. Seelhammer says.  

 Within minutes, specialists, ECMO equipment and transportation resources were mobilized across Mayo Clinic campuses.  

"Cases like this are incredibly rare," Dr. Seelhammer says. "Survival depends on having experienced, multidisciplinary teams that can quickly come together while remaining coordinated throughout the patient's journey." 

Why did Kayla's emergency require so many specialized teams? 

For Kayla, several urgent needs were developing at once.  

The obstetric team needed to deliver Ida while continuing efforts to stabilize Kayla. While in cardiac arrest, critical care and ECMO specialists were needed to provide advanced life support. Nurses, transport teams and other specialists helped coordinate care, equipment and movement across Mayo Clinic as her condition changed. 

Mayo Clinic's team-based model brought together specialists from across disciplines who routinely work side by side, allowing Kayla's care plan to evolve rapidly as new challenges emerged.

Later, when imaging revealed that Kayla had experienced multiple strokes, neurologic care became part of her treatment.  

What is an amniotic fluid embolism? 

As Kayla stabilized and began recovering in the intensive care unit, specialists from several disciplines worked to understand what had caused her sudden collapse. 

The exact sequence of events remains uncertain. Kayla's care team determined that an amniotic fluid embolism, or AFE, was the most likely explanation. 

AFE is an exceptionally rare obstetric emergency that can occur when amniotic fluid or fetal material enters the mother's bloodstream and triggers a sudden, severe reaction. It can develop during pregnancy, labor or delivery and may rapidly lead to breathing and circulatory failure, abnormal blood clotting and cardiac arrest. 

"There is no single test that can confirm AFE, and it can happen without warning or an obvious cause," Dr. Torbenson says. 

AFE is estimated to occur in about 6 of every 100,000 pregnancies in the U.S. 

Why was Kayla's case so medically complex? 

Surviving the initial cardiac arrest was only the beginning of Kayla's medical course. 

Further imaging revealed that Kayla had experienced multiple strokes. During the evaluation, her care team also discovered a previously undiagnosed opening in her heart, called a patent foramen ovale, or PFO. 

Kayla’s physicians say this opening may have provided a pathway for amniotic fluid in her bloodstream to pass through the heart and reach the brain, potentially contributing to her strokes. 

The combination of suspected AFE, cardiac arrest, ECMO support and multiple strokes made Kayla's case unusually complex. It also meant her care did not end when the immediate emergency passed. 

Recovery would require time, specialized care and continued support. 

What does recovery look like after an obstetric emergency? 

After 31 days in the hospital, including nearly two weeks of inpatient rehabilitation, Kayla was able to return home. 

Recovery was not simple. The strokes left Kayla with lasting effects on her vision, cognition, balance and movement. Vision loss in both eyes meant losing her ability to drive, while weakness and nerve pain in her legs made everyday activities more difficult.  

The emotional recovery has been just as real. 

"At first, I was just so happy to be home with my kids," Kayla says. "Now, I’m learning more about what happened, and there is a bigger emotional piece. I’ve come down from that initial high and am learning to live with a disability." 

As she navigated the physical and emotional challenges of recovery, Kayla leaned on the support of those around her. 

While many memories from the weeks after Ida's birth remain unclear or missing for Kayla, both Kayla and AJ vividly recall the love that surrounded their family from those who stepped in to provide help and encouragement. 

"What I will always remember is the positivity of all the people who sent food and lent a helping hand. There's just so much kindness in the world," says Kayla.

One year later, a return to Mayo Clinic 

One year after the emergency, Kayla, AJ and Ida chose to mark the anniversary by walking through the doors of Mayo Clinic again.  

They came to reunite with some of the physicians and nurses who had cared for them, including Dr. Torbenson and Dr. Seelhammer. 

For Kayla and AJ, the reunion offered a way to reclaim a difficult anniversary. 

"It's so special to be here," Kayla says. "We get to celebrate Ida's first birthday and we get to celebrate all of life's amazing moments." 

For the physicians and nurses, seeing the family together again was a reminder of what coordinated care had made possible. 

"This is what really keeps us going," Dr. Seelhammer says — seeing patients return to their families and their lives after illness. 

Kayla’s recovery continues, and she is still adapting to physical challenges that have changed parts of daily life. But she holds close the ordinary moments with AJ and their children — walks, bedtime routines and watching them grow. 

Those moments are possible because, when a rare obstetric emergency unfolded without warning, specialists from across Mayo Clinic came together within minutes to deliver highly coordinated care. As Kayla's needs evolved from emergency delivery to cardiac resuscitation, ECMO support, neurologic care and rehabilitation, teams across disciplines remained connected at every stage. 

The expertise required to manage each complication was different, but the goal was shared: helping Kayla return to her family. 

No single specialty carried her through the experience. Her care moved seamlessly from one team to the next, with specialists working together to meet each new challenge as it emerged. 

“We drew on years of planning, experience and team training to bring the right resources rapidly to Kayla’s bedside,” says Troy Seelhammer, M.D.. “That preparation allowed teams across Mayo Clinic to respond together when she needed them most."

The post Suspected amniotic fluid embolism leads to maternal cardiac arrest and rapid ECMO response at Mayo Clinic (VIDEO)  appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

As the fire chief for the city of Fargo, North Dakota, Gary Lorenz is accustomed to high-stress emergencies.  

"Firefighters are problem solvers," Gary explains. "When people call 911, and the dispatchers aren’t sure whom to send, they send the fire department."  

But on Oct. 7, 2025, Gary faced a crisis he could not simply delegate.  

During a routine scan for an unrelated issue, doctors discovered a tumor on his left kidney.  

Stunned by the news, Gary recalls pacing the floor at his headquarters fire station, feeling overwhelmed and not knowing what to do next.   

"I am kind of a fixer," says Gary. "Whether it's mechanical or other things, I'm fixing problems all the time, and so when it was my problem, trying to figure out how to fix this, it just seemed big."  

Walking in circles, the reality of his diagnosis set in.  

With the love and support of his wife, who works in the medical field, Gary discussed the next steps and knew exactly where to turn. He reached out to Mayo Clinic.  

Watch: Robotic surgery helps fire chief return to duty

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (3:01) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

A rapid response and a precise plan  

Within one day, a video conference was scheduled for the following week with Dr. Aaron Potretzke, a Mayo Clinic urologic surgeon.  

Knowing a plan was in place, his family urged him to go ahead with his annual fishing trip that weekend to Lake of the Woods in Canada.  

While driving, Gary received a call from Mayo Clinic asking whether he could meet virtually that Friday instead of the following week. 

During the videoconference, Dr. Potretzke explained how the scans described a single, approximately 4-centimeter bi-lobed tumor, but the exact nature of the growth would not be determined until after it was surgically removed.  

Because of the tumor's location and associated risks, Dr. Potretzke recommended a robotic-assisted radical complete nephrectomy, a minimally invasive surgery using robotic tools to completely remove a kidney through tiny incisions. 

"Dr. Potretzke’s thoroughness, professionalism and confidence greatly helped relieve much of the anxiety I was experiencing," says Gary.  

In short order, Gary received a call on Monday morning from Dr. Potretzke’s office about a last-minute surgical opening for the next day.  

Mayo staff coordinated and communicated with Gary to complete all of the necessary surgical preauthorization. 

Despite this tight timeline and a five-hour drive the night before, he was in the operating room exactly one week after his diagnosis.  

"It’s unheard of to go from start to finish that quickly," Gary says. "It felt like people actually cared how fast it came together."  

Dr. Potretzke says Gary's case was unique because of the multidisciplinary coordination that occurred in such a short time while Gary was several hours from Rochester, Minnesota. 

"To be able to get him into the operating room that fast was not something that we see every day, but it shows that this system works really well — and people at Mayo Clinic go the extra mile in an amazing way to take great care of patients in a thorough and efficient way," says Dr. Potretzke.  

Because of this advanced approach, he spent just a single night in the hospital and was able to return to work four days later.   

Dr. Potretzke will continue to monitor Gary over the next two years for signs of recurrence. 

Reaching a milestone: 100,000 da Vinci robot-assisted surgeries  

Gary's successful journey comes as Mayo Clinic marks a milestone in robotic-assisted surgery.  This summer, Mayo Clinic surpassed 100,000 surgeries assisted by the da Vinci robot.

Mayo Clinic uses advanced surgical robots to perform complex operations with precision, helping patients like Gary experience less pain, spend less time in the hospital and recover faster.  

"At Mayo Clinic in Arizona specifically, it's a marker of how far we've come as a campus from adopting the technology to now defining where complex robotic surgery goes next," says Dr. Michelle Nguyen, a Mayo Clinic transplant surgeon. "Reaching 100,000 cases is a meaningful milestone, but it's the culture of innovation behind it that will define what the next 100,000 look like."  

Much of that progress is being driven by breakthroughs in surgical technology. 

"Robotic-assisted surgery allows us to perform increasingly complex operations with greater precision, control and safety," says Dr. David Yang, a urologist at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, Minnesota. "This translates into improved patient outcomes, less postoperative pain and faster recovery. Perhaps just as importantly, procedures that were once only available at large tertiary care centers can now be performed closer to home."  

That high level of care is a collective effort. 

"Each of those 100,000 robotic surgeries was made possible by our exceptional care teams, including not only surgeons at Mayo Clinic in Florida but nursing teams, anesthesia, surgical staff, custodial support, scheduling and many others," says Dr. Mara Piltin, a Mayo Clinic surgical oncologist. "Each member of our institution plays a meaningful role in allowing us to offer high-volume, high-complexity care to patients in need, and we are grateful for each piece of the puzzle."  

Grateful for the seamless multidisciplinary care  

Reflecting on his clear follow-up scans and rapid recovery, Gary is grateful for the seamless multidisciplinary care he received.   

Highlighting how technology empowers clinical teams, Dr. Potretzke notes that robotic-assisted surgery has been a tremendous asset.   

"Robotic surgery allows us to enhance traditional laparoscopy with 3D and magnified visualization, and articulating instruments that allow for meticulous dissection and sewing in very small spaces," he adds.  

Meanwhile, patients like Gary are thankful for the team at Mayo Clinic.   

"I told Dr. Potretzke I would only share my story if I could brag about him and his team," says Gary. "You really respect the knowledge and training that the care team has." 

The post When a fire chief needed help: How Mayo Clinic’s collaborative care and robotic surgery saved his life (VIDEO) appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

For nearly six years, Bob Morreale has lived with a shoulder replacement. Most days, he does not think about it at all. 

That, he says, is the point. 

For Bob, 56, of Rochester, Minnesota, the road to shoulder replacement began decades earlier. A former Division III college baseball pitcher, he sustained shoulder injuries that led to instability, tissue damage, previous surgeries, and eventually, osteoarthritis. Over time, pain became part of daily life.  

“Turning a doorknob, holding a coffee cup, sleeping on my right side, and throwing became difficult,” Bob says. “It didn’t completely stop me from doing things, but I was constantly making adjustments.” 

Bob knew he needed a more permanent solution to manage his pain. At Mayo Clinic in Rochester, he met with Joaquin Sanchez Sotelo, M.D., Ph.D., an orthopedic surgeon, to discuss whether total shoulder replacement could be an option. 

Like many patients considering joint replacement, Bob wanted to know how long an implant might last and whether he could expect to regain comfortable motion. Dr. Sanchez Sotelo could answer those questions with confidence, drawing on decades of outcomes data from thousands of joint replacement patients treated at Mayo Clinic. 

How decades of patient follow-up help guide your care 

That confidence comes from more than 50 years of systematically tracking patient-reported outcomes. Since performing the first FDA-approved total hip replacement in the United States in 1969, Mayo Clinic has followed joint replacement patients throughout their lives, creating one of the world's largest collections of long-term outcomes data. 

"After surgery, we connect with patients on a regular basis. Even after a surgeon retires, another will step in and continue to check in with patients throughout the remainder of their life," says Matthew Abdel, M.D., chair of the Surgical and Procedural Practice at Mayo Clinic. 

For patients like Bob, that depth of follow-up matters. It allows surgeons to have more informed and honest conversations about what patients can expect — including pain relief, function, durability and whether another surgery may be needed in the future. 

Making an informed decision 

After discussing the benefits, risks and alternatives with his surgeon, Bob decided to move forward with an anatomic total shoulder replacement. Based on his age, anatomy and overall shoulder condition, the procedure offered the best opportunity to relieve pain, restore function and return to the activities he enjoyed.  

Recovery from surgery required patience. Bob spent weeks in a sling and worked through physical therapy to rebuild strength and motion. But as movement returned, so did the ordinary parts of life he had been missing. 

"The results have been remarkable," Bob says. "I have no pain, full range of motion, and can do everything I want to do. My sons are now adults, but I can still play catch with them!" 

How every patient helps improve joint replacement 

Every patient who participates in follow-up contributes to a deeper understanding of long-term outcomes, helping Mayo Clinic refine care and better guide future patients. 

For patients, that means care informed by decades of real-world outcomes, helping surgeons provide clearer expectations about recovery, function and long-term results. 

Like more than 200,000 joint replacement patients treated at Mayo Clinic, Bob continues to participate in periodic follow-up after surgery. 

Nearly six years later, he rarely thinks about his shoulder anymore. 

That's exactly what he hoped for. 

The post Why decades of patient follow-up make a difference in joint replacement care  appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

After serving others for 40 years through a legal career and now as a pastor and yoga teacher, Sandra Hedrick has led a life helping people. 

"I don't know what draws me to want to help people," she says. "I'm sure it's in my genes, but I really don't know."  

A self-described joyful yet introverted person, Sandra felt her busy life of mindfulness and gratitude stall three and a half years ago when an unexpected sinus issue developed. That fall, she and her husband were on a trip to see the changing leaves in North Carolina when she realized she could not breathe out of her right nostril.   

After her trip, Sandra visited internal medicine physicians about her sinus problem, who referred her to Dr. Osarenoma Olomu, an otolaryngologist at Mayo Clinic in Florida, for further evaluation.  

After a biopsy, pathology results showed the mass was esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB), a rare cancer also known as olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB). According to the National Cancer Institute, ONB affects approximately 1 in every 2.5 million people.   
 
Surgery was scheduled immediately following MRI confirmation of the size and location of the mass. 
 
"ONB is a fairly challenging mass to deal with because of where it lies: right at the base of the nose between the nasal airway and the brain," explains Dr. Olomu.  
 
As one of the nation's highest-volume centers for advanced head and neck cancers, Mayo Clinic in Florida manages complex and rare cases with precise, minimally invasive procedures. 

For Sandra's surgery, Dr. Olomu partnered with Dr. Kaisorn Chaichana, a neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic in Florida, to perform an endoscopic resection and reconstruction through the nose.  

"This advanced approach allowed us to precisely remove the tumor while protecting the rest of the brain," explains Dr. Chaichana. "We worked together to resect and reconstruct at the same time." 

After surgery, Sandra had a course of radiation and two rounds of chemotherapy to conclude her initial treatment. Despite the physical discomfort she felt during this time, Sandra looks back on her postoperative treatment with fondness for her care team.  

"I experienced kindness in every way," she says. "The staff were highly professional and kind. They were just a joy to be with, even under the circumstances." 

Mayo Clinic care teams solve complex medical challenges, like Sandra's, by taking an approach that puts the patient at the center and incorporates experts from multiple medical disciplines. 

"When you work with a high-level team, you can make rare things not so rare," says Dr. Olomu. "Our team works together all the time as part of a nationally recognized center, so for a disease like ONB, we know a care pathway." 

After treatment, Sandra returned to her vocation as a pastor with reaffirmed compassion and a keener listening ear. She also participates in online ONB forums and conferences, connecting with others who share this uncommon bond and encouraging one another.  

Sandra approaches her follow-up scans with confidence that she is supported by a kind, caring and knowledgeable team. She is happy to return to life as a wife, friend and grandmother.   

"Being alive is nice, of course," says Sandra. "But I am not on any mission to accomplish anything. I want to thrive in my ordinary life. And that's what Mayo Clinic gave me." 

The post Rare cancer diagnosis affirms life committed to helping others appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

On May 30, 2025, the Fountain Hills resident became the first patient to receive a lung transplant through Mayo Clinic's new Lung Transplant Program. Craig had been living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a progressive lung condition that affects more than 16 million Americans. Although treatments can help manage symptoms, the disease has no cure and gradually makes breathing more difficult over time. 

For Craig, the journey to transplant was years in the making. Barely able to walk 15 feet while using an oxygen tank, Craig's life had become very limiting. 

A former flooring installer, he spent decades working in environments with airborne dust and particles. He also had a family history of COPD. As his disease progressed, everyday activities became increasingly difficult. Breathing became a challenge, and simple tasks required more energy than they once had. Eventually, doctors determined a lung transplant offered the best path forward. 

Now, Craig is celebrating more than a milestone. He's celebrating what he calls his "lung anniversary," one year since the transplant that allowed him to breathe easier, regain his independence and return to the activities he loves. "I’m back to doing nearly everything I did before COPD," he says. "I was eager to get back to my life, but getting in shape takes time. I’m happy to say I’ve just started training for the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot." He's also now back at work as a handyman and once again doing many of the activities COPD had taken away from him. The moments he now enjoys, whether working, spending time with family or simply staying active, are reminders of how much has changed in a single year.  

Watch: The first patient to receive a lung transplant through Mayo Clinic in Arizona's new lung transplant program provides an update on how he's doing

Journalists: Broadcast-quality sound bites of Craig Schere and Dr. D'Cuhna are available in the downloads at the bottom of the posts. Name super/CG: Jonathan D'Cuhuna, MD/Surgical Director of the Mayo Clinic Lung Transplant Program in Arizona/Mayo Clinic.

Throughout his recovery, Craig says he has remained mindful of the donor whose gift made his transplant possible. "The life I have now is possible because of my donor's generosity. I celebrate both my birthday and the day of my transplant because what I can do now is remarkable, and it's only possible because of that gift," says Craig. 

The historic procedure marked not only a turning point in his personal health journey but also a significant milestone for transplant care in Arizona. Some neighboring states do not offer lung transplant programs, meaning patients often must travel far from home, family and support networks to receive care. The Arizona program helps address that gap by allowing more patients to remain closer to home throughout evaluation, transplant surgery and recovery.  

While Craig was the first patient in the new program, he is no longer the only one. In its first year, Mayo Clinic's Arizona lung transplant program brought together a multidisciplinary team of medical and surgical experts to broaden access to care for patients in the region with advanced lung disease.

Dr. Johnathan D'Cunha is the chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery and the surgical director of the Mayo Clinic Lung Transplant Program in Arizona. He performed Craig's transplant. “Craig is now living out loud because he has so much hope ahead. Mayo Clinic Transplant Center is one of the largest and most comprehensive transplant programs in the world, which allows us to care for the most complex and serious patients. The program's success reflects the close collaboration of our Arizona team and strong coordination across Mayo Clinic Transplant Center," Dr. D'Cuhna says.  

For Craig, however, the anniversary is about gratitude. 

"I'm grateful to have this time with my family, my 14 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, and look forward to what's next for me," says Craig. As he celebrates his first lung anniversary, Craig's story is a reminder of what transplantation makes possible: not just more years of life, but the opportunity to fully live them. 

Learn more about lung transplantation.  

Related

• (VIDEO) Breathing easy thanks to the gift of life and new Mayo Clinic Lung Transplant Program in Arizona

The post One year later: First patient thrives after lung transplant through Mayo Clinic in Arizona’s new lung transplant program (VIDEO) appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

After receiving a serious diagnosis, one patient turned to several medical institutions in search of answers. Where other institutions saw limitations, Mayo Clinic's interdisciplinary team saw a way forward. 

When Kyle Collett was diagnosed with an advanced tumor affecting approximately 65% of his tongue, life changed overnight.

 At 39 years old, he was a soon-to-be husband and a strategic finance professional.

"Like many people my age, cancer was simply not something I expected to hear," Kyle recalls. "My days were focused on building a future with my family, staying active and planning for what was ahead."

Before Kyle came to Mayo Clinic, the multiple medical opinions he had received had pointed toward a challenging future that included immediate major surgery, a near-total glossectomy (removal of most of the tongue), and a dramatically altered quality of life.

A different approach: Focus on what is possible

Where other institutions saw limitations, Mayo Clinic's interdisciplinary team saw an opportunity to help.

"This was a young patient," says Samip Patel, M.D., an otolaryngologist at Mayo Clinic and lead surgeon in Kyle's case. "He and his fiancée were really just starting their life together when he was diagnosed with a large oral tongue cancer."

"What was unique about this case was that we were able to pause as a multidisciplinary team and ask, 'Is there a way to treat this cancer effectively, but also preserve as much speech, swallowing and quality of life as possible?'"

Kyle quickly recognized that this collaborative team approach meant he was where he was supposed to be for his treatment.

"When nearly every other opinion focused on what I was going to lose, Mayo Clinic focused on what might still be possible," he says. "Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, the team took the time to evaluate my unique situation and develop an individualized treatment plan."

Oral tongue cancers are aggressive, making cure the top priority. However, preserving the components of human identity, speech, swallowing and appearance matters tremendously.

Mayo Clinic overcame this challenge by bringing surgery, medical oncology, radiation oncology, radiology, pathology and therapy teams together early in Kyle's journey.

"Instead of feeling like I was navigating disconnected opinions, Mayo Clinic's teams functioned as one unified group with a shared mission," Kyle says.

Rather than immediate major surgery, Kyle's team recommended induction systemic therapy first. This treatment approach uses full-body medications like chemotherapy or immunotherapy to shrink the tumor and target hidden cancer cells before an operation.

"He had a strong response, and that allowed us to make the surgery smaller and then deliver more targeted postoperative radiation," Dr. Patel explains. "To me, that is the heart of personalized cancer care. The goal was to balance cure with long-term function."

By using neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy to shrink the tumor before surgery, the team spared Kyle from losing most of his tongue.

Kyle credits Dr. Patel's ability to explain complex medical information, alongside the commitment of the Radiation Oncology team.

Following surgery, a network of specialists, including speech, physical and lymphatic therapists, helped Kyle regain function and trained his fiancée to do Kyle's required home care.

Today, Kyle enjoys family dinners, travel and joyous conversations about what is next in life.

"The milestone was not just that the cancer was treated," says Dr. Patel. "It was that we were able to treat it in a way that helped protect his long-term function and quality of life. To me, that is real success, not just recovery from treatment, but recovery of life."

Providing confidence, clarity and hope

Dr. Patel notes that for complex head and neck cases, Mayo Clinic designs treatment around the whole person, not just the tumor.

Kyle praises that approach.

"The expertise is extraordinary, but what truly sets Mayo apart is the way it combines innovation, collaboration and humanity," he says. "During one of the most uncertain and frightening experiences of my life, Mayo Clinic gave me confidence, clarity and hope."

The post When others focused on loss, Mayo Clinic focused on possibility appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

After an exceptionally rare diagnosis, a lifesaving bone marrow transplant and a near-fatal infection that pushed his body to the brink, Mike Sonnabend is not only alive — he's back to doing what once seemed impossible. 

Mike Sonnabend, a husband and father to three sons, enjoys being active — not just physically but also in the Rochester, Minnesota, community. The special education teacher and head coach of cross-country and track was preparing for an adventurous Scouting trip to the Florida Keys with his oldest son, Sam, and needed to complete a physical as part of the trip requirements.  

During the exam, his Mayo Clinic family medicine physician, Dr. Lori Bates, noticed that his spleen felt enlarged. Mike didn't think anything of it — he was feeling fine and had no symptoms. But after undergoing several tests and a bone marrow biopsy before leaving for his trip, he had a feeling he would come back to bad news.  

He was right. On July 3, 2014, Mike was diagnosed with a serious and complex disease consisting of leukemia — a cancer of the body's blood-forming tissues, including the bone marrow and the lymphatic system — and a bone marrow failure disorder, where blood cells don't develop normally. It's an incredibly rare condition — with very few cases worldwide — and is incurable with standard treatments.  

Mike's hematologist, Dr. Mrinal Patnaik, explained that a bone marrow transplant, a procedure that infuses healthy blood-forming stem cells into the body to replace bone marrow that's not producing enough healthy blood cells, would be the most effective treatment.  

"I knew that I couldn't fight this on my own. My Mayo Clinic care team is the experts, so I let them take care of the fighting, and I focused on what I could control — my family, my mindset and my recovery." 

As news of Mike's diagnosis spread, his family, friends, colleagues and community members quickly rallied around him and offered support.  

A rare diagnosis becomes even more complex 

Mike was referred to Dr. Mithun Shah, a Mayo Clinic transplant hematologist to ensure he was physically prepared for the transplant.  

All was going well with Mike's pretransplant testing until a pulmonary function test showed his lung function was much lower than expected. Because bone marrow transplants involve extensive treatments with a long, complex recovery, unexplained lung issues could make the procedure too dangerous. 

"We have a rare disease, and now there is a unique lung presentation. Our culture of collaboration at Mayo Clinic is where we shine. I picked up the phone and called my colleagues in hematology, pulmonology, pathology and other specialties — and we worked together, in real time, to assess risks and adapt Mike's treatment plans," says Dr. Shah.  

Dr. Shah referred Mike to Dr. Vivek Iyer, a Mayo Clinic pulmonologist, to help diagnose and treat the lung problem.  

"Transplant patients often have complex medical issues affecting multiple organ systems, so different specialties often need to collaborate expeditiously to solve critical issues that could delay or even prevent a successful transplantation," says Dr. Iyer.  

A lung biopsy confirmed that Mike had eosinophilic pneumonia, a rare and serious inflammatory lung condition. When steroids failed to resolve it, Dr. Iyer prescribed a monoclonal antibody-based therapy typically used for severe asthma that stabilized his lungs and kept his transplant on track — until another barrier emerged: Mike's enlarged spleen began draining his energy and appetite. In December 2019, doctors removed the massive organ, allowing his care team to move forward with his carefully planned transplant approach that would treat his leukemia while protecting his lungs.  

It worked. Mike had a successful transplant in 2020.  

Driven by a mindset focused on progress, Mike was back to coaching, teaching and running within a time frame that was "absolutely incredible," according to Dr. Shah.  

"My approach was to take the next step, trust the process and keep moving forward," says Mike.  

That same resilience would become even more evident five years later, when his journey took another dramatic turn.  

From stability to a sudden, life-threatening turn 

It was April 14, 2025. Around mid-morning, Mike began to feel fatigued, feverish and disoriented. He left work early and went to lie down, setting an alarm so he could make it to track practice that afternoon.  

But Mike wasn't well enough to make it to practice. Sam, who coaches with his dad, remembers having a sinking feeling, especially because he hadn't heard from him.  

"My dad would never not show up without letting me or the other coaches know, let alone even miss a day," says Sam.  

Sam went home after practice to check on his dad. Mike had slept through his alarm, had a high fever and was disoriented. Sam and his mom took him to Mayo Clinic's Emergency Department.  

"I don’t remember much," says Mike. "I remember going to the emergency room, and then it went black." 

Doctors soon determined he was battling bacterial meningitis, an infection that triggered overwhelming sepsis. For transplant patients like Mike, whose immune systems are compromised and who no longer have a spleen, even common bacteria can become life-threatening. 

Within hours, multiple organs began failing. His kidneys shut down, his blood pressure crashed and his body's clotting system began breaking down. He was transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU), where his condition became so dire that his family was called in to prepare for the worst. 

Mike's care again became a full-scale, multidisciplinary effort. Specialists across Mayo Clinic mobilized simultaneously — including experts in critical care, infectious diseases, nephrology, transplant medicine, vascular medicine, rehabilitation and more, meeting in real time to exchange ideas and make quick decisions together. 

"Mayo Clinic’s team-based approach is critical in situations like this. We needed everyone's expertise to give Mike the best chance of survival," says Dr. Shah.  

For Mike and his family, that collaboration was visible every day. 

"There was so much brainpower in that room, you could almost feel it," Mike says. "You could see the wheels turning. Everybody was trying to think of every possible thing to save me." 

Sam, who had since become a nurse after being inspired by his father's earlier cancer journey, helped guide the family through the most difficult moments.  

"Mayo Clinic did a great job of individualizing our care and really being there for us as a family," says Sam. "They gave us all the time we needed to ask questions — I felt like there wasn't a time clock on any of our interactions." 

Mike's journey was precarious, and at several points, his survival remained uncertain. But through relentless determination — and the coordinated expertise of dozens of Mayo Clinic specialists — Mike made another extraordinary recovery.  

Survival fueled by resilience and expertise 

"That was one of the toughest cases of my life," says Dr. Shah of Mike's most recent hospitalization. "Him pulling through and walking out of the ICU was one of my most satisfying moments." 

One year later, Mike feels good. He has his strength back, is exercising and is almost back to 100%.  

"I shouldn’t be here. I threw so many rare situations at my care team, and each time, they saved my life," says Mike. "There's no way you can get expertise like this anywhere else. It's incredible." 

Sam is grateful for the time he spent with his dad throughout his healthcare journey. 

"My dad is resilient, strong and the bravest person I know," says Sam. "I could tell he was scared, but he would always say, 'I have to keep going. I have to keep listening to the doctors. I have to keep taking my medicine, and eventually I am going to get out of it.' And despite all the odds, he did it."  That mindset — paired with his multidisciplinary care team working together — helped transform what could have been an ending into an extraordinary comeback.

The post Against extraordinary odds: A life saved more than once appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

After years of testing performed at multiple hospitals that could not explain his intense, and sometimes painful, symptoms, long-distance runner Mike Singh found answers through an athlete-specific approach at Mayo Clinic, helping him adapt his routine and continue running. 

A marathon moment that raised questions 

In November 2018, long-distance runner Mike Singh was competing in a marathon when he suddenly felt that something was not quite right. 

"I was on mile 22 or 23,” Mike remembers. "All of a sudden, I felt sort of out of breath, lightheaded. I thought I was having a heart attack." 

However, as a confident athlete who had completed many races, Mike kept going and finished the race without further incident. 

It would not be a one-time experience, though. The symptoms would often return during Mike's runs, usually when he pushed himself at longer distances. 

More than just exercise 

Running is, and has long been, a central part of Mike's routine. 

"It's not just exercise for me," he says. "Running is a huge part of my life and identity. The thought of losing that was a lot to process." 

Mike runs daily and trains for races throughout the year. So when something did not feel right during that 2018 marathon, it stood out significantly to him. 

Years of tests, no answers 

Early on, Mike sought care at multiple hospitals and medical centers, undergoing extensive testing. 

Despite numerous evaluations, the results always came back the same — no explanations, no real answers. Still, the symptoms continued during Mike's long runs, and so did the uncertainty. 

"I passed all those clinical tests with flying colors," Mike says. "But all that did was leave me with questions, unanswered questions." 

Up to that point (nearly four years into Mike's medical odyssey), no one had been able to re‑create the symptoms he experienced while running. 

Mike decided to visit the Mayo Clinic Sports Cardiology Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, hoping a different approach could finally explain what others could not. 

Re-creating the run 

At Mayo Clinic, the Sports Cardiology team met Mike and focused on understanding when and how his symptoms occurred. As Mike described the clinical signs, the team immediately identified one key detail: Mike's symptoms typically began several miles into his long-distance runs. 

Instead of relying on standard tests, the team focused on re-creating the exact conditions that triggered his specific symptoms. 

"If symptoms are not reproduced on a stress test, you can't definitively say the test is negative," explains Nadia Elfessi, a physician assistant on Mike's care team in Sports Cardiology. 

"My care team said, 'Let's just do whatever is necessary to re-create those symptoms,'" Mike says. 

 To do that, Mike ran long enough to trigger the exact symptoms he experienced during long-distance races. Then, while those symptoms were still occurring, the Mayo Clinic team moved immediately into testing. 

Because Mike's symptoms had eluded diagnosis for years, the team also developed a customized testing protocol to evaluate whether abnormal vagus nerve activity was contributing to the problem. Drawing on Mayo Clinic's expertise in cardioneural ablation, specialists temporarily blocked vagal activity with medication and had Mike exercise again under carefully monitored conditions. 

For the first time, the team was able to observe changes in Mike's heart rhythm as they happened. While the testing ruled out vagus nerve overactivity as the cause of Mike's symptoms, it revealed an underlying problem with his heart's electrical conduction system, helping the team arrive at a diagnosis and management plan tailored specifically to him. 

Finding the cause 

Now, Mike had an answer.  

"They adapted the protocols to fit my situation," Mike says. 

Dr. Guru Kowlgi, a cardiac electrophysiologist at Mayo Clinic, says the team's approach focused on recreating the exact conditions that triggered Mike's symptoms — something that had not happened during years of previous testing. 

Once the symptoms were reproduced, the team identified a disruption in the electrical communication between the heart's upper and lower chambers that occurred only during intense exertion. The findings led to a diagnosis of exercise-induced chronotropic incompetence, a rare condition in which the heart cannot appropriately increase its rate during physical activity. 

"It took a level of creativity and time that went beyond a standard evaluation," Dr. Kowlgi says. 

Why it was difficult to detect 

Exertion made the difference. 

"High-level athletes, like Mike, may only experience symptoms when they're pushing themselves at nine-tenths or even ten-tenths of maximal performance," says Dr. Darrell Newman, a cardiologist and director of Mayo's Sports Cardiology Clinic. 

Choosing a path forward 

With a diagnosis in hand, Mike's medical odyssey was over. He now had options. He now had hope that he could possibly pursue his love of running throughout the rest of his life. 

One option was a pacemaker to help regulate Mike's heart rhythm, but it was unclear whether it would improve his symptoms enough to return him to his desired level of performance. Rather than pursue a pacemaker, Mike chose a personalized management plan focused on adjusting his training and monitoring his symptoms during exercise. As part of that approach, he uses wearable technology to track his heart rhythm and capture electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) recordings that he can share with his Mayo Clinic care team. 

Still running — with a different approach 

Today, Mike still runs regularly, but his approach has changed. 

"It's a little bit of an inversion," he says. "Instead of my heart adjusting to my level of effort, I have to do the opposite and adjust my level of effort to my heart rate." 

"I can take that ECG, send it to the Mayo team and get pretty quick feedback," he says. 

Today, Mike continues to run (and compete), adjusting his effort but not giving up. 

"I'm still able to do it," Mike says. "Working with the experts at Mayo Clinic, I am able to continue living my lifestyle. I just enjoy running so much. It is a huge part of my life, and the Mayo care team was able to give that back to me."  

A new understanding 

For Mike, having answers made the difference. 

"It wasn't a simple answer, and not having any answers after so many years of searching can be defeating and also disheartening," Mike says. "But having this team of experts at Mayo just take time with me, work with me and find the information changed everything. In a manner of speaking, they saved my life, and they've allowed me to continue living that life." 

Today, Mike continues to run (a lot), adjusting his effort but not giving up the part of his life that matters so much to him. 

The post Racing to find answers: Yearslong search lands Mike Singh at Mayo Clinic  appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

A simple 10-second heart test with the aid of artificial intelligence is helping physicians detect a serious, often-overlooked disease.

For Rochester businessman Mike Busch, that technology proved life-changing. After months of unexplained symptoms, an AI-enhanced ECG helped doctors at Mayo Clinic quickly uncover a diagnosis that might otherwise have been missed.

Watch: AI-ECG helps physicians detect hidden heart condition

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (2:31) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script.

At the age of 77, Mike Busch says he has no plans for retirement.

"I still work full time," he says.

Spending time with Carol, his wife of 51 years, running his business and promoting youth wrestling in the region means Mike is always on the go.

But in 2023, his health became a concern.

"I wasn't feeling well for a few months, felt like somebody was sitting on my chest," Mike says. "I kind of lost my balance and kind of fell a little bit. I knew I had to probably go in and see somebody. I had been putting it off too long, and went into Mayo."

His doctor ordered an electrocardiogram, or ECG. It's a simple 10-second test that records the heart's electrical signals. Unbeknownst to Mike, he had developed a heart condition called cardiac amyloidosis.

"Cardiac amyloid is a condition where abnormal proteins deposit in the heart. It makes the heart stiff and causes problems with heart failure," says Dr. Martha Grogan, a cardiologist and director of the Cardiac Amyloidosis Clinic at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

"I kind of suspected something, but I didn't think it was that serious," Mike says.

His doctors were able to quickly diagnose him, thanks in large part to AI.

"Artificial intelligence, isn't it? I think," Mike says. "I'm not sure."

"The algorithm that we have to detect amyloid was strongly positive. Our scale goes from zero to 100, and he ranked a 98," says Dr. Grogan.

"It begins to learn what the patterns are, and then when it's all done, we can give it an unknown ECG and say, 'Is the pattern that suggests amyloid heart disease present, yes or no?' And it's a very powerful classifier. It can see signals that are hidden to humans," says Dr. Paul Friedman, a cardiologist and Norman Blane and Billie Jean Harty Chair, Mayo Clinic Department of Cardiovascular Medicine Honoring Robert L. Frye, M.D., at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

That's vital for patients with cardiac amyloidosis, which is often misdiagnosed as other types of heart problems, delaying important treatment.

"I couldn't believe it, put it that way," Mike says.

This AI-ECG tool was developed at Mayo seven years ago and recently received FDA clearance.

"Since the introduction of the AI-ECG at Mayo Clinic, it's now been used over a million times by clinicians in screening for various heart conditions," says Dr. Friedman. "It's a powerful test, and it can have us point not our stethoscope but maybe our looking glass in the right direction, so we don't miss things that are important and that are treatable."

Mike takes his medication, continues to follow up with his doctors, and still stays busy.  

"I don't see any changes as far as my work ethic goes," he says. "I'm fortunate to be where I'm at, and I'm happy with Mayo Clinic and what they've done."

The post AI-ECG helps physicians detect hidden heart condition (VIDEO) appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Life on the mat 

For Casey Lamb, the mat has never just been a place to compete. It's where he's spent more than four decades teaching, mentoring and testing himself.

 "It's really who I am," Casey says.  

As a Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor, gym owner and lifelong competitor, Casey's life has long revolved around helping others grow through the sport he loves. Then chest tightness during training forced him to imagine a future without the life he had spent decades building. 

A diagnosis that raised difficult questions 

While ramping up training at his Rochester, New York, gym for an upcoming jiu-jitsu competition and staying active with his children's wrestling, Casey began experiencing chest tightness and pressure. Having seen friends and students suffer serious heart-related emergencies, he decided not to ignore the warning signs. Hoping for reassurance and a quick return to training, he sought care at his local hospital. 

Instead, he left with an unexpected diagnosis: an ascending aortic aneurysm, a dangerous weakening of the body's largest artery that can tear or rupture without warning. 

Just as devastating for Casey, the diagnosis meant he was told to stop competing and avoid the heavy exertion that had defined both his work and personal life. 

At about 4.7 centimeters, Casey's aneurysm fell below the size threshold at which surgery is typically recommended. Physicians usually continue monitoring an aneurysm until it reaches 5 centimeters or larger. 

Until then, treatment often focuses on reducing risk through lifestyle changes, including avoiding heavy lifting and limiting strenuous activities that can place additional strain on the aorta. 

For Casey, avoiding strenuous activity wasn't a temporary inconvenience. Coaching, training and competing in jiu-jitsu were central to his livelihood and daily life.  

"I'd rather have 15 years doing what I love than 30 years miserable sitting in a chair," Casey says. 

For Casey, the diagnosis threatened far more than his health. It jeopardized the identity he had spent most of his life building. 

Searching for another option 

That conviction led Casey to seek another opinion at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. 

There, the conversation shifted. Instead of focusing only on the size of Casey's aneurysm, specialists from cardiology, vascular medicine, sports cardiology and cardiovascular surgery worked together to understand the person behind the diagnosis — his profession, his goals and the life he hoped to return to. 

Although his aneurysm had not yet reached the standard threshold for surgery, the demands of his life as a coach, competitor and gym owner called for a more individualized approach. 

"Guidelines are essential," says Dr. Thais de Azeredo Coutinho, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist and vascular medicine specialist in the Mayo Clinic Aortic Center. But they don't replace individualized care. Some patients deserve a closer look because their circumstances aren't fully captured by the guidelines. This was Mr. Lamb's situation." 

"It wasn't, 'Here's what you have to do,'" Casey says. "It was, 'Here are your options. What do you want to do?'" 

Rather than asking him to walk away from the sport, Casey's Mayo Clinic care team focused on helping him understand the risks, weigh his options and choose the path that aligned with his goals. 

"Let's figure out how to get you back doing what you want to do," Casey recalls. "We'll tell you the risks; we'll make the risks as low as possible; we'll let you know what they are; and you make the decisions." 

For the first time since his diagnosis, Casey saw a path forward — one that didn't force him to choose between protecting his health and preserving the life he loved. 

After weighing the risks with his care team, Casey decided surgery offered the best chance to continue the activities he wanted. 

A surgery built around his goals 

The expertise and collaboration he experienced at Mayo Clinic gave him confidence in that decision. 

"I believed I was at the best place to have this procedure, with the best surgeon and the best team," Casey says. 

Dr. Gabor Bagameri, a Mayo Clinic cardiovascular surgeon who specializes in complex aortic surgery, repaired the enlarged section of his ascending aorta while preserving his native aortic valve. 

"Our goal wasn't simply to repair the aneurysm," Dr. Bagameri says. "It was to repair it in a way that gave him the best opportunity to safely return to the life he valued." 

For Casey, the operation wasn't simply about repairing his aorta. It was about preserving something equally important: the opportunity to return to coaching, competing and the community he had built on the mat. 

Back to training 

Recovery didn't end after surgery. Working with Mayo Clinic's Sports Cardiology team, Casey gradually rebuilt the strength and confidence needed to return to high-level competition.   

Every walk, every rehabilitation milestone and every workout brought Casey one step closer to a single goal: getting back on the mat. 

"I knew if I made it through surgery, I would get back to where I was because that was the plan we had put together," Casey says.  

Just three months after surgery, that plan became reality. Casey stepped back onto the mats — not as someone watching from the sidelines but as a coach, mentor and athlete once again. 

"I was back on the mats," Casey says. "I was teaching classes. I was training again." 

For the first time since his diagnosis, Casey wasn't wondering what he might lose. He was back doing what he loved. 

His students once again had their longtime coach leading classes, demonstrating techniques and training alongside them. Stepping back onto the mat wasn't simply a return to training, it was proof that the future he feared might slip away was still within reach. 

"For someone like Casey, it's about helping him return to the activities that matter most while understanding the risks involved," says Dr. Kathryn Larson, a Mayo Clinic sports cardiologist who helps athletes safely return to activity after heart conditions and procedures. 

Looking ahead 

Nearly two years after surgery, Casey says he finally feels like himself again. 

Today, Casey continues coaching, training and preparing for future competitions, including a return to the World Master Jiu-Jitsu Championship. 

The chance to pursue those goals again is something he doesn't take for granted. 

"It's just the fact that I've gotten back to it at that level," Casey says. "Doing what I love and what I've gone through, in itself, it's a victory." 

For a man who once feared he might never return to the mat, stepping back onto it became more than a comeback. It became proof that personalized care can help restore the life that matters most. 

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