Imperfect Heart: Stories of Myocardial Bridges

Imagine growing up on a rural desert farm, surrounded by sports and discovering pickleball before it became a sensation. That was Benjamin Hunt’s life until an unexpected health crisis turned his world upside down. Ben shares his journey from an active lifestyle to facing alarming symptoms like exercise intolerance and chest pain, experiences initially dismissed by doctors. Despite leading a busy...

Knowing I needed to find a cardiologist in my home community post surgery, left me a little disappointed to leave the confines of Stanford’s outstanding care. After two years it seemed a good idea to reach out to see who might be the “lucky” doctor to get a patient like me. I’m pleased to say that the gentleman I was fortunate to be introduced to turned out to be very knowledgable about our condit...

What if the very medication meant to ease your post-surgery pain ends up causing a whole new set of problems? This episode pulls back the curtain on the real-life challenges of post-surgery recovery, starting with the digestive issues caused by pain medications like oxycodone. You’ll hear firsthand accounts of the shift from relying on narcotics to managing pain with ibuprofen & Tylenol to min...

Live from the Imperfect Heart meetup, this episode features an intimate and heartfelt roundtable discussion among the patients and their caregivers who have all experienced the effects of a myocardial bridge on their loved one. Participants share their personal stories, their reactions to the diagnoses, treatments, and ongoing struggles post surgery. They discuss the emotional and physical impacts...

These things don’t happen in a vacuum so I just wanted to express my appreciation for everyone that took the time out of their weekend to show up, contribute and use their stories to the benefit of others. I also know every one of those in attendance are going to push out to their sphere of medical professionals to continue to keep the pressure up until we get complete acceptance that myocardial b...

Is there a right surgical approach that completely transforms the lives of patients with myocardial bridges? This episode is a live recording of the first ever myocardial bridge meetup where Dr. Theo Kofidis, took the time to virtually join us from Greece for the first session of the day. We learned of his ambitious project of revamping a JCI accredited hospital into a cutting-edge medical facilit...

What if the future of heart surgery didn’t involve massive scars and long recovery times? On this episode we’ll visit the pioneering world of minimally invasive cardiac procedures through the eyes of Dr. Allan Stewart. A leading cardiac surgeon, his journey from childhood started with an understanding of mechanics that led to groundbreaking medical innovations. His path is nothing short of inspiri...

Join me for an enlightening episode of the Imperfect Heart Program, where I sit down with Pete Furman, a competitive cyclist who shares his unexpected heart health journey. Despite his excellent physical condition, Pete experienced mysterious symptoms like hand tingling, jaw pain, and a decline in athletic performance. Initially misdiagnosed with conditions such as idiopathic peripheral neuropathy...

Imagine waking up each day with a renewed sense of hope and determination, knowing you’re part of a community that truly understands your journey. In this special update episode of Imperfect Heart, I, Jeff Holden, am thrilled to share our exciting plans and new features for the podcast through the end of the year. We’re sticking to our consistent publishing schedule—episodes drop on the second and...

Ever wonder how someone can maintain a healthy lifestyle yet still face severe heart issues? Join me as I unpack Mary McDonald’s gripping journey through hereditary heart disease, starting with her struggles with high blood pressure. Despite her best efforts to stay healthy, Mary’s initial disregard for medical advice led to severe complications, including a wake-up call from foot surgery. This ep...

Can personal experiences with heart disease shape the future of heart surgery? Join me as I sit down with Dr. Danny Ramzy, a groundbreaking minimally invasive heart surgeon, to unravel his inspiring journey in medicine. Driven by his family’s history with heart disease, Dr. Ramzy transitioned from classical training to becoming a pioneer in robotic heart surgery. He recounts his first encounter wi...

Could your heart be sending distress signals that traditional tests can’t detect? Join me, Jeff Holden, for a revealing conversation with Dr. Samit Shah from Yale School of Medicine as he shares groundbreaking insights on the Discover INOCA research program. This multicenter study is pioneering the way we understand ischemia and non-obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA), focusing on elusive condit...

Have you ever wondered why some heart conditions slip through the cracks? I do. And myocardial bridges are one of those conditions. Join me as I speak with my very own primary care physician, Dr. Thomas Hopkins, more affectionately known as Dr. Tom. He joins us to unpack the mysteries of diagnosing chest pain in the hopes we can catch a symptomatic myocardial bridge sooner rather than later. With...

Can a legal case become a catalyst for groundbreaking medical research? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ingela Schnittger, a trailblazer in the field of cardiology, as she recounts how a tragic courtroom moment ignited her passion and led her to a pivotal collaborative effort at Stanford. Dr. Schnittger explains the complexities of myocardial bridges and the vital role a multidisciplinary tea...

In this episode, I attempt to reveal some lesser known truths of myocardial bridges as I unravel the complexity of heart-related symptoms that often go misdiagnosed. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the disparity between the prevalence of this condition and the surprisingly low number of patients who receive accurate diagnoses. Did you know one-in-four of us is likely to have a myocardial bri...

Join me as I sit down with Kathy Hoseth, a remarkable woman with a compelling story of heart health struggles and self-advocacy. From her early childhood days experiencing unexplained chest pains to the complex journey of navigating the healthcare system as an adult, Kathy’s narrative is a testament to resilience. She candidly shares the dismissive attitudes of medical professionals she encountere...

Embark on a mission dirven purpose with Jed Baker, as he narrates his battle with enigmatic health symptoms, culminating in the pivotal uncovering of a myocardial bridge—an anomaly that remained undiagnosed for an agonizing duration. This episode threads through Jed’s encounters with the labyrinth that is modern healthcare, where he met his “surgery sisters,” Kaylin Kellert and Liane Aigner, and c...

Have you ever marveled at the precision of robotic cardiac surgery or pondered the moral complexities hidden behind the robot’s arm? Dr. Guy, a cardiac surgeon with a unique military background, joins us for a compelling exploration of this life-saving medical discipline, blending his battlefield-honed skills in teamwork and strategic thinking with the meticulous demands of heart surgery. We ventu...

Join me as I embark on a heartfelt journey with my guest Louis Merlin, who bravely shares his personal struggle with his myocardial bridge—a condition we know is often overlooked or mistakenly dismissed as benign. Louis opens up about the frightening onset of symptoms like chest pain and dizziness, which led to a maze of ER visits and the haunting suggestion that it was all just anxiety. Despite i...

I never imagined that a story of heart surgery could come with a side of laughter and gourmet hospital food. Yet here we are, with Kaylin Kellert, an Air Force veteran who, only a week post sternotomy and unroofing surgery, brings an inspiring tale of self-advocacy, resilience, and a surprising craving for Stanford’s vanilla pudding. Kaylin’s journey through the confusion of heart attack-like symp...

Never before have I had a conversation with somebody only days from their surgery sharing their story and their thoughts on a life-changing and controversial procedure that lies so closely ahead. Embark on the journey with Liane Aigner as she stands on the cusp of a transformative heart surgery, revealing the highs and lows of her battle with a myocardial bridge. Her candid narrative displays the...

You’re standing at the crossroads of cardiac care and ready to make the decision for your “unroofing” procedure. From the conversations I’ve had with many of our listeners, it’s clear the sternotomy itself creates more fear than the actual heart surgery it allows. You may have options for a minimally invasive procedure or even robotic procedure but the most common of all open heart surgeries is th...

My own heart skipped a beat upon hearing Dr. Peggy DeLong’s tales of loss and fear. Peggy, a beacon of resilience, opens up about the profound losses that shaped her life—her fiancé and her father both taken too soon; Her father by a heart condition, her fiance by cancer. Her very own terrifying brush with what she feared was a heart attack rekindled her commitment to gratitude, a practice she has...

Prepare to journey through the operating room doors as I give you a front row seat to a robotic unroofing surgery with Dr. Balkhy at the University of Chicago. I find myself amazed at the intense emotion of watching this procedure firsthand as I know the outcome and what a miracle it is. My partner for the day, is Dr. Kumaran Mangalam, a cardiothoracic surgeon from Bangalore, India who practices f...

From one Imperfect Heart to another, may your day be full of family, friends and gratitude.  Happy Thanksgiving. Today, is a great day to be alive. If you like what you heard, please give us a positive review on whichever app you're using, like and follow us so you never miss an episode. Also, please visit the website, MyImperfectHeart.com and sign up to our database as we work to build a mor...