Key points from today’s guests:

Steve Oberhelman, patient, acute aortic syndrome

• In June 2023, Steve had a near-death experience while bowling. His wife recognized something was wrong and called 911.
• He was taken to a hospital via ambulance, but his condition was so severe, he was taken by ambulance to The University of Kansas Health System.
• He had an aneurysm in his aortic arch, which plays a critical role in the body’s circulatory system.
• Steve required three life-saving surgeries.
• He was back to bowling a few months later and is in good health.

Davi Oberhelman, Steve’s wife

• She had a husband die of a heart attack and she said she wasn’t going to let that happen again with Steve.
• She knew she had to act quickly to help him.
• Davi has provided much needed support to Steve throughout his recovery.

Dr. Todd Crawford, thoracic surgeon, The University of Kansas Health System

• Steve’s condition was serious. The risk of death is about one percent per hour or 50 percent at two days with conservative management.
• This typically results in immediate surgery, so we quickly operated on Steve.
• We shut off his blood flow for 36 minutes while we performed our first procedure.
• There's a reason why KU is special for treating these acute aortic syndromes, and that's because having someone like Dr. Hessel to carry Steve through to the finish line is so important.
• That's what's really unique about our aortic centers. We work very well together, and we have a solution for almost any problem you have.

Dr. Kara Hessel, vascular surgeon, The University of Kansas Health System

• As a vascular surgeon, it was important to have a second surgeon to help perform additional surgeries.
• The surgeries were very complicated with rearranging of blood vessels.
• Seeing Steve and Davi today allows us the opportunity to really feel inspired to do the things that we need to do and to get everybody through what we need to get them through. Their recovery efforts have been incredible.
• The team effort here spans multiple disciplines, including our incredible ICU and step down units that got Steve back to where he needed to be – home.

Friday, Dec. 6 at 8 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. A rare condition can mimic dementia, but with the right doctor and the right diagnosis, problems with memory and walking could be reversed. Hear more about a new, less invasive option being studied.

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