All stories
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Listen to your heart
Innovative technology helps diagnose and treat Guardsman's heart pain
National Guardsman Jeffrey Newton is learning to pay closer attention to his heart disease.
Read Jeffrey's story » |
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Doctor reaches out to kids
Dr. Jill Klemin is taking time this spring to visit local schools.
Read the story » |
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A real difference—maker
Hearing aids help woman stay involved
Barbara Wright was hesitant at first to get hearing aids. After wearing them since 1976, though, she can't imagine life without them.
Read Barbara's story » |
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Back so soon?
Joel Maixner was back selling real estate the same week he had his thymus removed at Sanford Health.
Read Joel's story » |
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Numbers don't lie
Couple benefit from weight-loss surgery
Jennifer and Bob Ziebarth have lost nearly 150 pounds combined.
Read their story » |
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Safe at home
Rehab helps Williston woman recover after stroke
Helen Millette undergoes rehabilitation with Dr. Douglas Eggert, rehabilitation specialist, at Sanford Health.
Read Helen's story » |
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Fast-acting, lifesaving
Shawn Gieszler has normal heart function after suffering a heart attack.
Read Shawn's story » |
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A race with only winners
Families benefit big time from annual event
Thanks to funds raised through the Sanford Health Great American Bike Race, Tyler Schwab can experience riding a bike with his father, Mike.
Read Tyler's story » |
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A silent threat
Woman's small symptoms sign of serious issue
Elaine Pfaff has incorporated exercise into her routine following a heart scare
Read Elaine's story » |
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'She's not stopping'
Toddler gets moving after physical therapy
After six weeks of therapy at Sanford Rehabilitation Center, Kassy Hojian is able to walk and run like most children her age.
Read Kassy's story » |
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Back in action
Innovative disk surgery helps Mandan man overcome back pain
An innovative back surgery procedure offered at Sanford Health helped Dan Rodgers get back to the things he loves—including biking, golf and fishing—as well as winter chores like shoveling snow.
Read Dan's story » |
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Life-changing surgery
Weight-loss surgery helps Powers Lake man find the fun in his active lifestyle
Weight-loss surgery helped Michael Gunderson finally run away from the obesity problem that plagued his love for outdoor sports.
Read Michael's story » |
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Innovative therapy helps toddler swallow trouble-free
With help from Sanford Health Speech Pathologist, Tracey Lockrem, and an innovative treatment called VitalStim, Addison Ereth has been able to overcome swallowing troubles that once hampered her ability to eat.
Read Addison's story » |
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Sleep apnea treatment improves overall health
After learning they suffered from the same sleeping disorder—sleep apnea—Sarah and Greg Stiefel both sleep better with the help of a sleep therapy device called continuous postitive airway pressure, or CPAP.
Read Sarah and Greg's story » |
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Hear what you're missing
After enduring hearing loss for most of her life, Peggy Shireley
said her decision to use a hearing aid has had a positive
impact on her professional and personal activities.
Read Peggy's story » |
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Great American Bike Race
The race where everyone wins
John Cicha has benefited from specialized equipment thanks to the Sanford Health Great American Bike Race.
Read John's story » |
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On the road again
Bismarck man rediscovers hobby
after innovative surgery
Before surgery on his neck, Patrick Conmy stopped riding his motorcycle because he couldn’t grip the handlebars.
Read Patrick's story » |
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Small changes, big relief
Chiropractor's treatment helps woman
overcome back pain
After receiving treatment and education from Dr. Jeff Askew, Kathy Miiller is free of constant back pain.
Read Kathy's story » |
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The gift that keeps on giving
Dr. Doug Nordby had a kidney transplant in 1999 at Sanford Health in Bismarck. He continues his optometry practice in Watford City.
Read Dr. Nordby's story » |
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Continuing education
Sanford Diabetes Center helps family manage diabetes
Three of the four children in the Olson family have diabetes, and the Sanford Diabetes Center has helped the entire group manage the disease.
Read the Olson's story » |
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Preventive testing pays
off big for police chief
Dennis Bullinger, chief of the Mandan Police Department, had bypass surgery that likely prevented a major heart attack.
Read Dennis' story » |
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A cause close to home
GABR funds benefit Watford City family
With her new Walkabout gait trainer, Sierra Frick is more independent.
Read Sierra's story » |
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Treating lymphedema
Sanford Health program features certified
lymphedema therapists
Lymphedema caused Carol Jacobson’s right arm to swell to nearly twice its normal size. Sanford Health’s lymphedema treatment program helped eliminate the swelling and home care has helped Jacobson prevent a relapse.
Read Carol's story » |
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Then and now
Innovative treatments make managing diabetes easier
Jim Ferder, who was diagnosed with diabetes nearly 50 years ago, said innovative treatment options like his insulin pump make managing the chronic illness much easier.
Read Jim's story » |
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Success at losing
Weight-loss surgery leads to improved health
Thanks to her weight-loss surgery
performed at Medcenter One,
Deborah Olson has dropped from
265 pounds to 140 pounds. She can now perform routine tasks like walking to the mailbox that challenged her before.
Read Deborah's story » |
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Miss ND makes holiday visits to Children's Hospital
Even with her preparations for the upcoming Miss America pageant reaching high gear, Walker took time to pay a holiday visit to children Thursday, Dec. 22, at Sanford Children’s Hospital.
Read the story » |
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Walking tall
Innovative leg treatment helps high school athlete overcome disability
Despite a disability that causes walking difficulties, Christopher Kennedy plays football and baseball for the Harvey High School Hornets.
Read Christopher's story » |
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Hearing aids opened up a whole new world
Amber Anderson, who is now 19, received her first hearing aid when she was 4. She is studying dental hygiene at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton.
Read Amber's story » |
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Sports physicals
Student athlete exams now required annually
The North Dakota High School Activities Association now requires student athletes to complete a sports physical exam annually. The exams can be scheduled anytime between June 15 and before an athlete starts practice.
Read the story » |
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Miracle recovery
Richardton rancher survives near-fatal head injury
Rancher Dale Diede credits Sanford Health’s rehabilitation team for his recovery following a serious head injury in March 2009.
Read Dale's story » |
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Doctor and nurse celebrate
milestone together
Dr. Shari Orser and Jenna McBride work together at Sanford Health. McBride’s son, Brooks, was Dr. Orser’s 3,500th baby.
Read their story » |
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Have remote, will travel
Innovative leg therapy helps Crosby
teenager ditch leg brace
Thanks to therapists such as Jackie
Mrachek and the Active Leg
program at
Medcenter One, Kelsey
Busch has a much better gait.
Read Kelsey's story » |
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Babies get special visitor
On Tuesday, Dec. 20, Jolly Old St. Nicholas took time out of his busy holiday schedule to visit babies and their siblings while posing for pictures at Sanford Health’s Well Baby Clinic outside the Birth Center.
Read the story » |
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Beating a silent killer
Montana woman's aneurysm caught and repaired
Sharon Smelser of Sidney, Mont., chose Sanford Health and Dr. Sean Russell when she developed heart problems.
Read Sharon's story » |
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Advanced CT technology saves
Bismarck woman's life
Connie Ness of Bismarck is back to
doing what she loves, thanks to the
most advanced CT scanner in the
world—Aquilion ONE, which is
available at Sanford Health.
Read Connie's story » |
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Cancer care close to home blessing for Dickinson family
Diagnosed with cancer when he was 15, Anthony Bren and his family, who live in Dickinson, were able to complete most of Anthony’s chemotherapy at Sanford Health rather than traveling to Minnesota.
Read Anthony's story » |
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Back in the saddle
Tuttle woman recovers from
bone-crushing accident
Thanks to the innovative emergency, surgery and rehabilitation services at Sanford Health, Jennifer Livingston was able to overcome life-threatening injuries that resulted from a farming accident.
Read Jennifer's story » |
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Fast-thinking co-workers save Bismarck woman
While taking an exam, Arden Boxer suffered a stroke that left her unable to walk on her own. Thanks to fast thinking by a co-worker and expert care at Sanford Health, Boxer progressed from using a wheelchair to walking on her own.
Read Arden's story » |
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A runner with heart
Sanford Health works with Mayo Clinic
to care for children's hearts
MacKenzie Paul was born with a heart condition that caused her heart to
race when she ran. The condition was treated recently at Mayo Clinic, and MacKenzie is now able to run worry free.
Read MacKenzie's story » |
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Oneweigh offers
weight-loss solutions
By completing Sanford Health’s Oneweigh program, Lenny Hueske learned to make better food choices, improved his exercise routine and lost 120 pounds.
Read Lenny's story » |
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Woman feels whole again
From surgery to prosthetics,
Medcenter One helps woman heal
After a mastectomy to remove a cancerous lump from her breast, Ellen Nagel opted for an innovative
breast prosthesis rather than reconstruction surgery. Unlike older-model prostheses, Nagel said hers is comfortable and natural looking.
Read Ellen's story » |
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Back on his feet
Hydrotherapy helps Bismarck man recover from traumatic injuries
Jamie Crane, a Sanford Health physical therapist, works with
Esley Thorton in Sanford Health’s rehabilitation pool. The water’s
buoyancy is helping Thorton, who was injured in a car accident,
regain his ability to walk.
Read Esley's story » |
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Making broken hearts whole again
Innovative heart procedure fixes hole in the heart
Thanks to an innovative heart procedure to repair the hole in her heart, Tracy Zeeb is back doing the things she loves including raising Black Angus cattle.
Read Tracy's story » |
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Healing hands and healing bandages
Sanford Health's lymphedema expertise helps Carson woman
Violet Fuchs developed lymphedema—swelling in her legs—after winning her battle with cancer. To minimize the swelling, Fuchs uses compression techniques she learned from Sanford Health's lymphedema therapist Jessie Markovic.
Read Violet's story » |
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Family is plenty motivated
Annual Sanford Great American Bike Race
brings friends and families out in full force
Mitchell Hintz helped pull together three teams of 10 riders each for this year's Great American Bike Race (GABR). The teams collectively raised more than $23,000.
Read Mitchell's story » |
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Williston man's life back on track
Weight-loss surgery at Sanford Health in Bismarck helped Chris Williamson lose 167 pounds.
Read Chris's story » |
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At ease behind the wheel
Driver rehabilitation program helps
driver overcome disability
Debbie Opp's prosthetic leg once made driving nearly impossible. Today she is able to drive her own car with ease thanks to therapy provided by Sanford Health's Driver Rehab program.
Read Debbie's story » |
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Living with diabetes
Innovative treatment approaches help teen
Tyler Bren and his family count on Sanford Health's team approach to care for the teenager's type 1 diabetes.
Read Tyler's story » |
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Long run to recovery
Tim Lickteig used running and a local support group to help himself get through a two-year battle against Hepatitis C.
Read Tim's story » |
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In her honor
Arizona man's donation honors his wife's work
as a nurse and nursing teacher
To honor the memory of his wife, Vivian, a lifelong nurse, Hank Swierenga gave a charitable annuity to the Sanford College of Nursing.
Read Hank's story » |
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Healing touch
Blood clot leads to painful, slow-healing wounds
Ray Kuntz endured slow-to-heal wounds on his calf muscle. Healing the wounds was expedited using an innovative treatment available at Sanford Health.
Read Rays' story » |
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Moving from tantrums to words to hugs
Therapy helps Bismarck boy develop
communication, social skills
Sanford Health therapists helped Nathan Dressler overcome anti-social behaviors such as avoiding eye contact and human touch.
Read Nathan's story » |
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Stronger by the day
Woman turns to exercise after early
osteoporosis diagnosis
Cazanne Fitterer has used bone-strengthening activities like weight-lifting to
overcome osteoporosis.
Read Cazanne's story » |
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Medina girl is "truly a miracle child"
Katie Schmidt survived a 90-minute seizure thanks to great teamwork from her doctors. Today, the healthy 4-year-old is full of energy.
Read Katie's story » |
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Long road to recovery
Medcenter One surgical team helps
New York motorcyclist survive I-94 crash
After surviving a life-threatening motorcycle accident while riding through North Dakota in 2009, New Yorker Bill Rauschenberg has worked hard to regain his physical health.
Read Bill's story » |
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Innovation at work
Doctor finds and removes hard-to-reach polyp
without major surgery
A polyp in Susan Thompson's intestine was removed via an innovative procedure at Sanford Health. The painless procedure was, in Thompson's words, "A piece of cake."
Read Susan's story » |
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'Better than Christmas'
GABR a thrill for everyone involved,
and a huge help to families
Faith Bousfield looks forward to Christmas, but she’s even more excited for an annual event that her mom says is “better than Christmas” for Faith.
Read Faith's story » |
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Back in the game
Innovative prosthetic helps Bismarck man
return to the sport he loves
Thanks to innovative prosthetic leg services at Sanford Health, Dale Rood has regained his independence.
Read Dale's story » |
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Welcome relief
Allergies no longer control woman's life
thanks to allergy shots
Lana Bergmann used to suffer allergy symptoms year round, but she found relief from an allergy-shot regimen and now can spend time outside without worrying about the allergen level.
Read Lana's story » |
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Team approach pays off
Family, healthcare team help girl manage diabetes
Physical activity such as ice skating helps Kaycee Verlinde manage her
type 1 diabetes.
Read Kaycee's story » |
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Teacher aces test
Free injury screening puts woman
on fast track to recovery
Sixth-grade teacher Kathy Kindschi took advantage of Sanford Health Sports Medicine's free injury screening and now is back playing the sport
she loves.
Read Kathy's story » |
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Sweet-sounding success
Woman back on her feet after rehabilitation
After around six weeks of rehabilitation at Sanford Health, Alice Iszler is back home and back playing piano at church and in weddings.
Read Alice's story » |
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Sound of silence
Bismarck man overcomes sudden hearing loss
by reacting quickly
Thomas Nemeth's temporary hearing loss was restored thanks to quick action by Sanford Health doctors.
Read Thomas's story » |
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Quitters can win
Heart attack provides wake-up call,
forces 37-year-old to give up smoking
To reduce her risk of suffering another heart attack, Raquel Richter quit smoking, started eating better and now exercises on a regular basis.
Read Raquel's story » |
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On the road again
Innovative prosthetic helps Jamestown man
get back to living
An innovative prosthetic leg helps Roger Mayhew continue every activity he did before losing his leg, including hunting, fishing and riding his Harley-Davidson.
Read Roger's story » |
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Long road home
Near-fatal accident robs man of vision
but not zeal for living
No longer able to see after a near-fatal accident. Vince Ulstad uses his computer to help communicate.
Read Vince's story » |
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Lessons re-learned
Therapy at Mandan Living Center helps woman
regain independence after stroke
A stroke threatened to take away Celia Kuntz's independence, but the rehabilitation services she received helped her return to apartment living.
Read Celia's story » |
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Innovation close to home
Doctor catches, treats elusive tumor
After multiple bouts of intestinal bleeding, Gene Baker found relief from innovative treatment at Sanford Health.
Read Gene's story » |
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Help for the heart
Bismarck family benefits from Medcenter One's
relationship with Mayo Clinic
Daxton Helten had heart surgery at Mayo Clinic when he was 3 days old.
Read Daxton's story » |
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Doctor saves limbs
Innovative treatment keeps blood flowing through woman's legs
Lori Ginsbach, who suffers from peridpheral arterial disease, credits her ability to walk on her own two feet to Dr. Timothy Pansegrau, cardiovascular surgeon, Sanford Health.
Read Lori's story » |
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'Angels' in his presence
Quick-thinking grandchildren provide major assist
Kevin Utter's grandchildren helped save Utter's life with quick action when Utter suffered a seizure.
Read Kevin's story » |
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On the road after recovery
Chuck Ehli can get out on his own again thanks to Sanford Health's driver
rehabilitation program.
Read Chuck's story » |
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Good call, Sis
Sanford Health provides help with nursing student's tuition
It didn't take Lindsey Kary long to realize she made the right decision by following her sister's advice.
Read Lindsey's story » |
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New life blossoms
Weight-loss surgery helps woman get back to action
Thanks to weight-loss surgery at Sanford Health Toni Devaney can get back to gardening.
Read Toni's story » |
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Team approach pays off
After he had reconstructive surgery at Sanford Health,
Evan Peske’s parents sometimes have to remind themselves
that Evan was born with a cleft lip.
Read Evan's story » |
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A group that sweats together sees results together
“If something is tough when I work out on my
own, I sometimes don’t do it. With the group, I push through it because the
other women are there going through it with me.”
Read about Adventure Fit Camp » |
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'I can do things again'
Neck surgery eases patient's pain
Erin Wooten is thankful she can lift weights again
following neck surgery at Sanford Health.
Read Erin's story » |
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Hearing is believing
When Teresa Bauer left her audiologist’s
office wearing her new open-fit hearing aids
nearly two years ago, she was overcome with emotion.
Read Teresa's story » |
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A culinary challenge
Family adjusts to help son manage celiac disease
“I never noticed any problems, but in retrospect, T.J. did have a lot of
digestive issues,” said Tara, a special education teacher. “Now that he’s eating
gluten free, he rarely complains of a stomachache.
Read T.J.'s story » |
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Heart procedure leads to worry-free winter in the sun
Following a heart procedure at Sanford Health, Roger Tofsrud was able to enjoy his winter in Arizona.
Read Roger's story » |
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A new view on women's surgery
Roberta Stacey experienced minimal pain and returned to work
two weeks after having a hysterectomy using da Vinci
robotic-assisted surgery.
Read Roberta's story » |
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Robotic-assisted surgery helps man fly through recovery
After a radical prostatectomy using
robotic-assisted surgery, Marc Taylor
needed to wait only two weeks
to get back in the air.
Read Marc's story » |
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Back-to-school special
Innovative procedure gets teacher back into classroom on time
Darlene Bondley underwent a CT scan of her
abdomen to check for possible kidney stones
and ended up finding out she had a mass
on her lung.
Read Darlene's story » |
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So much to lose, but more to gain
Weight loss surgery helps man lose 285 pounds
Weight-loss surgery helped Jim Cree drop 285 pounds and helped him walk away from a laundry list of obesity related problems including diabetes, high blood pressure and
knee pain.
Read Jim's story » |
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Walking on sunshine
Treatment for peripheral arterial disease helps
Minot woman walking away from leg pain
Thanks to care from Sanford Health’s cardiovascular surgery team for her peripheral arterial disease, Sharon Nelson of Minot is again able to play games with her grandchildren.
Read Sharon's story » |
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The gift of life
Man returns to his normal routine thanks to his wife's gesture
Polycystic kidney disease once robbed Kevin Dahly of his ability to play with his three young sons. Thanks to the transplanted kidney he received from his wife, Carol, Kevin is back in the game and leads an active life.
Read Kevin's story » |
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Son steps up
Selfless act helps father get life back
Todd Westmeyer, right, gave his father, Ray, one of the greatest gifts of all when he donated a kidney.
Read Ray's story » |
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