Patient Stories

Heart stories of lives saved.

A father who can once again play soccer with his kids, thanks to a bloodless heart transplant. A swimmer still going strong in her 70s after advanced treatment for cardiac arrhythmia. A retired police and fire commissioner whose heart failure was reversed. These are just a few of the remarkable stories of lives saved by the world-renowned physicians and cardiothoracic surgeons at Montefiore Einstein Center for Heart and Vascular Care.

Montefiore Einstein’s Center for Heart and Vascular care is ranked in the top 1% of all hospitals in the nation for cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery and achieved a “high performing” ranking in heart failure by U.S. News & World Report. Montefiore Einstein also has one of the best heart transplant survival rates in New York and among the highest in the nation. It is a leader in the use of ventricular assist devices (VADs) for the treatment of heart failure and for patients requiring complex, high-risk procedures, such as repairs to heart valves and aortic aneurysms. We continue to pioneer treatments for heart rhythm disorders and minimally invasive cardiac procedures.

James

James’ heart failure reversal is one for the record books.

When James Bradley suffered two massive back-to-back heart attacks, the specialists at Montefiore Einstein saved his life by implanting a mechanical support system called a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). What happened next was a heart failure reversal for the record books. His team did what few centers have the expertise to do, they removed the LVAD, and James’ heart continued to function well without needing a transplant.

See James’s Story

Joseph

A new heart was Joseph’s winning save.

Joseph Downes wasn’t out of shape; he needed a new heart. He didn’t just need a new heart right away; Joseph needed a hospital that could perform a bloodless heart transplant. He was referred to Montefiore Einstein, the only hospital within 800 miles that could save his life.

See Joseph’s Story

Jessica

A new heart gave Jessica another shot.

When she came to Montefiore Einstein, Jessica Green’s survival was measured in weeks, not months. Her heart was pumping at just 5% capacity. Physicians at Montefiore Einstein saved her with a bridge to a new heart by implanting an LVAD, a mechanical pump that sits inside the chest to help weakened hearts circulate blood. The LVAD kept her alive until she was ready for a heart transplant.

See Jessica’s Story

Phyllis

A high-speed heart rate can’t slow me down.

Phyllis Steel is one of the most athletic retirees you’ll ever meet, but when she developed an irregular beat in the upper chambers of her heart, she looked to Montefiore Einstein. The arrhythmias she experienced were sapping her strength and causing her to wake up in the middle of the night with a racing pulse. After an ablation to eliminate the trigger causing the problem, Phyllis is back to her athletic lifestyle in the water.

See Phyllis’s Story

Mary Margaret

Discovering Mary-Margaret’s rare heart condition was her match point.

Mary-Margaret spent years crisscrossing the country looking for answers, but it was specialists at Montefiore Einstein who diagnosed her rare heart condition— undiagnosed Lyme carditis that had morphed into a mysterious arrhythmia. By discovering what other hospitals had missed, the doctors had a roadmap to successfully treat her.

See Mary Margaret’s Story