Patient Stories 2015-10-09 Jim's BiVAD Procedure Main Article Content Breadcrumb navigation All/Patient Stories/Jim Armstrong Heart Procedure Breakthrough I couldn’t feel my heartbeat. I'd never felt so alive. A first-of-its-kind procedure supports a failing heart. While preparing for an annual boat race, Jim Armstrong suddenly found his health spiraling out of control. The specialists at Northwestern Medicine's Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute discovered that due to severe heart failure, a revolutionary procedure was his only hope. Cardiac surgeons implanted two completely pulseless devices to support his heart, leaving Jim without a pulse for four months until he underwent a successful heart transplant—and one incredible recovery. Interested in hearing more from Northwestern Medicine? Sign up for the Healthy Tips E‑Newsletter for everything from health and wellness ideas to patient breakthroughs to academic and medical advancements. Share This Page Related Topics Patient Breakthroughs Heart and Vascular Northwestern Medicine - On a relentless pursuit of better medicine. Related Content Patient Stories Christy’s Quick Detection for Colon Cancer Christy had a rare form of cancer. Fortunately, she had an even more rare form of doctor. Patient Stories Lights in the Darkness Through surgeries and physical rehabilitation, Pat’s care team was a beacon of light. Now, she’s lighting the way for others. Patient Stories Cancer Survivor Becomes Father’s Advocate After being diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor as a child, Chiara Rodgers became an advocate and a symbol of strength for others. When her father was diagnosed with prostate cancer, she knew exactly how to help him. Hitting Back at Parkinson’s When Parkinson’s disease hit Dale, he and his care team at the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital hit back – with deep brain stimulation. Patient Stories Nurse Saves Best Friend’s Life “If you were to write a Hollywood script, you couldn’t do a better job,” says Babak S. Jahromi, MD, PhD. See the video here. Patient Stories More Time to Be a Dad The primary caregiver for his four-year-old daughter, Corey got the advanced treatment he needed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital for abdominal cancer. Patient Stories Road to Olympics Runs Through Rehab After six months of physical therapy, figure skater Derek Wagner triumphantly returned to the ice following a devastating injury. Patient Stories Breathing Easier With Advanced Technology Jesus Garcia is the first patient in Illinois to receive the HeartMate 3 LVAD (left ventricular assist device) by Northwestern Medicine. Medical Advances Surgeon First in Illinois to Repair Damaged Aorta with New Graft Phillip has hiked the Himalayas, the Alps, the Pyrenees and the Rockies, but an aortic aneurysm threatened to be the toughest challenge of his life. Patient Stories 10,000 Miles Apart, Social Media Connection Leads to Advanced Care A connection made in an online support group alters the course of treatment for Dale. Patient Stories Teaming Up For Treatment When John was diagnosed with prostate cancer, he didn’t know what to expect. But with the level of care and collaboration he received from the Chicago Proton Center, he knew his life would never be the same. Patient Stories Comfort in a Whirlwind When he was five, Isaac received proton therapy for medulloblastoma, the most prevalent pediatric brain cancer. Patient Stories On Beat to 100 As the first low-risk patient in Illinois to undergo a TAVR procedure, Bob benefited from a less invasive way to make his heart stronger. Patient Stories The Precise Right Note When Tom was diagnosed with tonsillar cancer, the care team recommended surgery that could affect his ability to sing. Proton therapy sounded better. Patient Stories A Search for Better Like so many cancer patients, Holly faced radiation treatment after brain surgery. Patient Stories Battling Back to Her Babies After giving birth to twins, Kathleen discovered she had breast cancer. The care team at Northwestern Medicine would get her home again. Patient Stories Meet 5 Cancer Survivors Celebrating Life Northwestern Medicine is proud to share the stories of just a few of America’s 15 million cancer survivors. Patient Stories In Fighting Form When Sloan was diagnosed with prostate cancer, his fitness made him eligible for treatment with breakthrough da Vinci® surgery. Patient Stories Flipping the Script on Transplants Lindsay knows a thing or two about transformation. Patient Stories Dan's Anterior Hip Replacement Procedure After the death of his bone tissue, firefighter returned to the job after a unique hip replacement surgery at Northwestern Medicine. Patient Stories Craig's Achilles Tear Rehab Craig is not a professional athlete, but that didn't stop the Northwestern Medicine team from treating him like one. Read Craig's story. Patient Stories Judy's Second Shot With DBS What Parkinson's disease took from Judy, the Northwestern Medicine team of experts gave back. Read Judy's story. Patient Stories Mark's Open-Heart Surgery The only thing more impressive than Mark's mile time is the fact he can run at all. Patient Stories Pete's Proton Therapy After Brain Surgery Getting back to the little things took a team who could do big things. Patient Stories Katie's Seizure-Stopping Surgery When Katie wanted to start a family, she turned to Northwestern Medicine for a life-changing surgery. Discover Katie’s breakthrough. Patient Stories Anything But Ordinary Mary has learned a thing or two about how she wants to live. She would describe it as an ordinary life, except that lately, it’s been anything but. Patient Stories Hospitality at a Hospital After Jason was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the throat, the restaurateur found impact everyday at Northwestern Medicine. Patient Stories A Brave New Everyday Caitlin lived with depression and anxiety for years. Since seeing a Northwestern Medicine psychiatrist, the every day feels everyday again. Patient Stories A Breakthrough Beat When a toothache turned out to be a brain tumor, adaptive hybrid surgery only at Northwestern Medicine returned Steve to his everyday. Patient Stories Answers With Impact Rebekah has lived with cardiomyopathy all her life and when she needed a second heart transplant, Northwestern Medicine made an impact. Patient Stories On Pace for Ironman With a triathlon approaching, Sara was sidelined with piriformis until she went to Northwestern Medicine to keep her everyday on track. Patient Stories Always on the Pulse Paul was an active rower, but bradycardia called for an emergency pacemaker from Northwestern Medicine to return him to his everyday. Patient Stories A Heart for Diving Phil gave up scuba because of heart problems, but heart surgery at Northwestern Medicine has made every day feel everyday again. Patient Stories Rosemary's Reduced Treatment Time When a routine mammogram revealed early-stage breast cancer, Northwestern Medicine offered a real estate agent a new lease on life. Patient Stories Hector's Advanced Tonsil Cancer Advanced tonsil cancer was no obstacle to running the Chicago Marathon for Hector Nuñez with Northwestern Medicine by his side. Patient Stories Amy Ross's Adult Congenital Heart Disease After an aortic stent caused complications, a full-time consultant turned to Northwestern Medicine's Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. Patient Stories Pinklon's Treatment for Spinal Injury When shoulder pain stopped his work, a professional trainer and former athlete found breakthrough orthopaedic care. Patient Stories Kimberle's Treatment for Kidney Stones When a nagging pain became excruciating, a film editor and photographer found kidney treatment at Northwestern Medicine. Patient Stories Alicia's Bicuspid Aortic Valve Treatment When faced with a hereditary heart condition, a woman turned to the BAV Program at Northwestern Medicine to care for her and her daughter. Patient Stories Martha and Ray's Dual Knee Replacement Both Martha and Ray Eriks' turned to Northwestern Medicine for knee replacements. On the same day. With the same doctors. Patient Stories Willie’s Treatment for Prostate Cancer After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, Willie found personalized therapy that allowed him to keep his active lifestyle. Patient Stories Susan’s Lung Volume Reduction Surgery Susan was turned down for a transplant, but the pulmonary specialists at Northwestern Medicine saw potential for a lung volume reduction surgery. Patient Stories Sandra’s Personalized Brain Mapping When Sandra came to Northwestern Medicine, a rare brain malformation threatened not only her life, but also her ability to sing. Patient Stories Rose's Heart Valve Disease Success Story After a grandmother, crafter and cookie baker suffered congestive heart failure, her doctor recommended TAVR. Patient Stories Minnette’s Bladeless Cataract Surgery When a real estate agent began having trouble seeing, she turned to Northwestern Medicine for bladeless, laser cataract surgery. Patient Stories Michael's Treatment for a Torn ACL Facing four torn ligaments, a sports medicine surgeon at Northwestern Medicine used a grafting technique to send a quarterback to victory. Patient Stories Megan's Minimally Invasive SLAP Repair Orthopaedic surgeons performed a minimally invasive SLAP repair to potentially cut Megan’s rehab for a shoulder tear in half. Patient Stories Kelly’s Pelvic Floor Disorder Treatment With a comprehensive and personalized treatment, Kelly found breakthrough pelvic health to restore her sense of self. Patient Stories Karen's Small-Cell Lung Cancer Fight Karen credits clinical trials at Northwestern Medicine for helping her fight against small-cell lung cancer. Patient Stories Jenna's Personal Twist on Survivorship From starting a support community for cancer patients to starting a family of her own, Jenna’s twist on survivorship has been all her own. Patient Stories Jennifer's Rare Swallowing Disorder Jennifer found a way to stabilize her rare swallowing disorder to eat easily and attend college confidently POEM at Northwestern Medicine. Patient Stories John's Skin Care for a Scalp Disorder When no one could treat a dog show handler's skin disease, he found individualized care for dissecting cellulitis at Northwestern Medicine.