This month, Adam Beck, M.D., director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, performed the first procedure in the Southeast using a new light-based, visualization technology called Fiber Optic RealShape, or FORS.

Located in Birmingham, Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and its accompanying academic medical center, UAB Medicine, is home to a growing general thoracic surgery program.

When it comes to celebrating the holidays, Santa Claus is one of the leading experts. Good old St. Nick gets a lot right this time of the year, as he keeps up with the demands of delivering toys to children around the world. He gets lots of activity, has a supportive spouse, spends time with animals, and engages in positive thinking – all of which are wonderful stress-relievers during the holidays.

The holidays bring a lot of joyful events and good food. But preparing for those events can be stressful, and the abundance of delicious dinners and treats may put a dent in diet plans. Also, cold weather and fewer daylight hours can make you less physically active, keep you indoors, and dampen your desire to exercise.

You can’t change your age, but you can change your “heart age”. Heart age is the age of your heart and blood vessels after adjusting for your risk factors for heart attack and stroke. Most adults in the United States have a heart age older than their actual age, placing them at greater risk of a cardiac event. Click to see the most common reasons for a higher heart age that can be changed or managed.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Cardiac Intensive Care Unit has received the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses’ Silver Beacon Award for Excellence. This award recognizes health care organizations, like UAB Hospital, that provide exceptional care through positive patient outcomes and greater overall patient satisfaction.

UAB Cardiovascular Institute electrophysiologists completed the first commercial procedure in the United States using first-of-its-kind ablation technology to treat patients with atrial fibrillation. The new technology, the Medtronic DiamondTemp™ Ablation system, is the first FDA-approved, temperature-controlled, irrigated radiofrequency ablation system with diamonds currently available to deliver ablations. 

Halloween is the official holiday of fear, when haunted attractions and horror movie marathons offer plenty of scares. But here’s an important Halloween question for medical experts: Is it possible to be frightened to death?

Gregory Chapman, M.D., a professor in the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Division of Cardiovascular Disease and cardiologist at the UAB Cardiovascular Institute, provides an insider’s perspective on the field of cardiovascular medicine in his new book “A Strong & Steady Pulse: Stories from a Cardiologist.”

On the afternoon of April 25, 2018, Colin Tucker felt as though a railroad spike was being shoved through his chest.  

Each year, the Amputee Coalition recognizes the month of April as Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month (LLAM) to honor its community and educate others about limb loss and limb difference.

The UAB Medicine Division of Vascular Surgery & Endovascular Therapy received the highest possible rating in the Vascular Quality Initiative® (VQI) awards program. The rating is reserved for medical centers that successfully participate in the VQI, which is a nationwide effort to improve cardiovascular care.