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For more than a decade, Tim Johnson, 66, has lived with a chronic aortic dissection, a serious condition where the inner layer of the aorta tears, allowing blood to flow between the layers of the aortic wall.

According to the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation, one of every two women in the United States over age 50 will experience a bone fracture caused by osteoporosis. This condition, affecting roughly 54 million Americans, occurs when bones lose density and strength, becoming thinner, weaker, and more fragile.

Debbi Jesse, 51, is outside mowing her lawn, an activity she couldn’t do prior to her ultra-minimally invasive—also known as endoscopic—spine surgery at Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital. For years, Debbi had been in pain, which ranged from stabbing to sharp to shooting throughout most of the lower half of her body, including her back, hips, and glutes.

Last fall, Pam Ludy, 65, took a trip with her sister to North Carolina. But Pam, who has osteoarthritis in both knees, had a hard time walking.

When Ashley developed a rare condition following a heart transplant, she turned to Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

At Barnes-Jewish Hospital, WashU Medicine orthopedic surgeon, Jay Keener, MD, and his team are using the latest technology and personalized implants to make shoulder replacement surgery more advanced. Through expert planning and innovative surgical techniques, they’re helping patients get back to the activities they love, with less pain and better long-term results.

At Barnes-Jewish Hospital, two WashU Medicine physicians, David Brogan, MD, MSc, and Christopher Dy, MD, MPH, are working on new ways to treat brachial plexus damage, a serious nerve injury. These often occur after major accidents, such as car crashes, and can have a big impact on a person’s ability to use their arm and hand.

Mike Mueller, 61, from Swansea, Illinois, had multiple heart tests done a few years ago and was free of any blockage. However, blockage can occur quickly. He recently started feeling pressure in his chest but didn’t believe it could be his heart. For a few days, a lingering cough—maybe bronchitis—was the reason he hadn’t been feeling well. On Dec. 26, 2024, while playing pickleball at the local YMCA with his son, who was in town for the holidays, Mike started feeling winded and dizzy.

Known as ‘Coach’ to everyone in the Farmington, Missouri, community, Gary Koch, 79, has made a lasting impact both on and off the basketball court. A Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee, he spent more than 40 years coaching college women’s and high school boys’ varsity basketball. Now retired, he is thankful for the wonderful care he received after a serious heart scare last summer.

Seed oils are found in processed and ultra-processed foods, which could contribute to inflammation and serious conditions.