University of Michigan Health Frankel Cardiovascular Center

05/13/2026

10 YEARS OF INNOVATION: Last week, the Frankel Cardiovascular Center celebrated a full decade of funding cardiovascular care innovation through its annual pitch competition.

Congratulations to our two winning teams!

In the commercial product and system-based improvement category, a cardiac surgery-led team won for the Endopatch, a novel minimally invasive device designed to close the large blood vessel opening left behind after ECMO support without requiring open surgery.

In the AI category, a multidisciplinary team won with a noninvasive cardiovascular imaging platform that enables accurate quantification of coronary blood flow from 4D color flow ultrasound, addressing a critical gap in identifying flow-limiting and high-risk plaques.

This challenge showcases the brilliant minds who are committed to transforming cardiovascular care through novel ideas and cutting-edge technologies. Go Blue!

[📸: Carrie Pitzer and Michigan Photography]

05/10/2026

A heart attack 9 days after giving birth.

Nidhi Puri, a healthy 41-year-old mom of four, had no warning signs until she experienced a rare condition called SCAD.

It’s underrecognized, but SCAD is a leading cause of heart attacks in women under 50 and the most common cause in pregnant and postpartum women.

This Mother’s Day, Puri is sharing her story and a message: Trust your instincts

“As women, we tend to minimize our discomfort. Some of us are programmed to say ‘I’m fine’ because we feel like we have to keep going.”

Clinicians at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center diagnose and treat all forms of SCAD, and Dr. Santhi Ganesh is advancing SCAD care and research through the Arterial Dysplasia Program.

Click this link to read more about Nidhi's journey: michmed.org/bn8PQ

Learn more about the Arterial Dysplasia Program at this link: https://michmed.org/qxV8m

05/08/2026

Their hearts suddenly stopped. Now, four cardiac arrest survivors share important facts that could save a life.

05/07/2026

Nurses at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center bring their best every day. They are fiercely committed to caring for our patients and ensuring they have the highest quality healthcare experience. Thank you to our nurses! 💙💛

💛 Happy Nurses Week! 💙

In celebration of Nurses Week and the nearly 10,000 nurses providing exceptional care to patients across University of Michigan Health, we are pleased to share a special new video. We Take Care of People features voices from nurses in our hospitals and ambulatory care centers, sharing the moments that inspire them, the patients who stay with them, and the joy they find every day in the important work they do.

Thank you – this week and every week – to our U-M Health nurses. Your care changes lives! Watch here: https://michmed.org/WeTakeCareofPeople

05/04/2026

Nearly half of American adults have hypertension, or high blood pressure, but millions do not know it.

Dr. John Bisognano, a cardiologist at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center who specializes in severe and resistant hypertension, spoke with the Washington Post about how high blood pressure affects the body.

Click this link to learn more about the silent condition: https://michmed.org/BD4mY

[Illustrations: Emma Kumer and Daron Taylor/The Washington Post]

04/30/2026

HEART FOR HOCKEY: Since receiving his second heart transplant on Valentine’s Day last year, Devin Addington has taken every opportunity to enjoy time on the ice.

The 21-year-old from the Flint area has played poly hockey with Michigan Special Olympics, celebrated his transplant anniversary at a Michigan Hockey Game and soaked up many live matches with the Detroit Redwings, Flint Firebirds and the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

Addington lived with his first transplanted heart for 20 years. He had his first transplant as an infant due to his Barth Syndrome, a rare genetic condition that causes an enlarged heart.

He has stayed active and connected, going to the gym twice a week as part of rebuilding strength and routine. He’s also traveled across the nation to several national parks — something that felt out of reach not long ago.

Being out in the community also matters a lot to Devin. He volunteers with Gift of Life Michigan, visiting local high schools to talk with students about organ donation and what it has meant for him.

“Organ donation saves lives,” he previously said. “If you can be a donor, do it. There’s always someone out there who needs it.”

Click this link to read the full story of his second transplant: https://michmed.org/qN7Yb

04/27/2026

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or TAVR, has gained popularity as a minimally invasive option for patients with diseased aortic valves.

As TAVR use continues to expand, particularly among younger patients, more of them are outliving their valves. This has led to an uptick in TAVR explant surgeries to remove the original and sew in a new surgical valve.

Two of our cardiac surgeons, Drs. Shinichi Fukuhara and Robert Hawkins, spoke with The Wall Street Journal about the nation's fastest-growing heart surgery.

Click this link to read the full story from WSJ (will need to scroll down): https://michmed.org/Q9eeq

At the Frankel Cardiovascular Center, our experienced teams offer an individualized approach to each patient with a goal to minimize the number of open-heart surgeries they will need.

Click this link to learn more about TAVR explant: https://michmed.org/By2QW

04/24/2026

Nearly one year after his heart transplant, Chevy Farris is back where he feels at home: on the mat.

The national champion wrestler, now a coach, spoke with WDIV Local 4 about his long journey with heart failure before his lifesaving surgery.

"Organ donation is one of the best things we can do," Farris said. "I'm so thankful for the family that blessed me."

Click this link to read more about Chevy's care the Frankel Cardiovascular Center: https://michmed.org/rw9Ar

04/22/2026

For more than 10 years, Sharon Zuccarini lived with life-threatening heart rhythms. She was told that her body could reject up to 95% of available hearts because she had high levels of antibodies that reject donor organs.

A multidisciplinary team at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center made a transplant possible by “desensitizing” her immune system with medication — and striking some luck in the donor pool.

"I thought we were running out of options, and a transplant was never going to happen," Zuccarini said.

"I am so thankful that my care team was able to make a plan to overcome every challenge and find a suitable heart.”

Click the link to learn more about Sharon's long journey to transplant: https://michmed.org/28WAN

04/21/2026

When someone has a heart attack, they often receive lifesaving treatment in the cath lab. Two cardiologists explain a cardiac catheterization.

04/17/2026

Our researchers have created an AI model that can detect a hard-to-spot heart disease using EKG.

Coronary microvascular dysfunction is a condition that affects the heart's tinier vessels and increases the risk of heart attack. It normally requires advanced imaging to diagnose.

On WDIV Local 4 / ClickOnDetroit, Dr. Venk Murthy explains the technology's potential to make the process easier. Click this link to read and watch the full story: https://michmed.org/jVkWA