Vital Signs

If you have chronic back pain, something's wrong...right? Maybe not. Sometimes, it might all be in your head... or at least, in the neurons of your brain. Listen in as neurosurgeon Dr. Erich Anderer explains how pain isn't that simple, and how incorporating ancient practices into modern therapies can help treat chronic back pain.

After suffering a traumatic brain injury as a result of being hit by a car on his bike, Dr. David Jevotovsky had a long road to recovery. Hear him piece together the accounts of his family and friends, and the first hand account of his emergent surgery from the neurosurgeon who treated him. 

From sci-fi dreams to the cutting edge of prostate cancer treatment, Dr. James Wysock tells the story of his roundabout journey to becoming an oncologic urologist... and finding fulfillment in his career. 

You may have a picture in your head of what medical school is like, but getting there and succeeding there, isn't always a straight line. For Dr. Michael Natter, connecting the dots of his journey with diabetes and his passion for art helped him paint the portrait of the doctor he is today.See Dr. Mike Natter's drawings on his instagram page:https://www.instagram.com/mike.natter/ 

Coming soon... Season 3 of Vital Signs! Hear more incredible personal stories of doctors, nurses, and researchers at NYU Langone Health. Hear how one doctor took a very atypical path toward becoming an oncologic urologist on the cutting edge of prostate cancer treatments; how the manager of NYU's high-containment labs managed an onslaught of attention during the COVID-19 pandemic; how a neurosurgeon is helping patients with chronic back pain find relief with an ancient practice from halfway around the world; how a young boy with diabetes doodled his way through medical school to become an endocrinologist, and how a medical student's traumatic brain injury and recovery changed everything about his career trajectory and his life's priorities.  

At 13 weeks, Dana Salmonese joyfully announced to everyone that she was pregnant with twins. Just a few weeks later, she was in the operating room, having emergency surgery to save their lives. The goal of any pregnancy is to be routine. But when it's not, fetal surgeons like NYU Langone Health's Dr. Martin Chavez are there to help the smallest of patients find their way.

Julianne was having the typical college experience - going to classes, hanging out with friends, and getting ready for graduate school in Hawaii. Until her life was changed forever with a diagnosis of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Then she met NYU Langone's Dr. Jordan Axelrad, who was diagnosed with the same condition at a young age. Together, they are inspiring others to speak up about IBD.

In the face of the ongoing opioid epidemic, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Kirk Campbell finds new and innovative ways to manage his patients' pain while minimizing the risks of addiction. Hear how his childhood devotion to sports inspired his career, how his commitment to improving patient care spurred his passion for diversity and inclusion, and how he and his colleagues are leading the charge to fight the opioid crisis.

When COVID-19 struck New York City in early 2020, NYU Langone Medical Center was transformed. So was Dr. Katherine Hochman's job as a hospitalist. Hear the way she faced challenges and created solutions for her hospital and her patients.

Dr. Abe Chachoua is a cancer doctor. Not long ago, he became a cancer patient. Hear how a physician who loves to make people laugh found meaning through his darkest days of treatment.

Dr. Ann Marie Schmidt devoted decades of her life to research that could change the lives of people living with diabetes. Then, in one night, it was all destroyed. Hear how - despite this devastating loss - she and her team found their way back.

Since she left South Africa 25 years ago, Nurse Sherril Card-Gordon's life has changed, and changed again. Hear what it was like to lose her husband to an aggressive cancer - and then, to find meaning in that loss by giving other families the hope she never had.

Dr. Joel Salinas grew up knowing he wasn't like other kids. During medical school, he finally figured out why. Hear how the unique way he perceives the world impacts his life and his work as a neurologist.

Vital Signs, Season 2. From Sirius XM and NYU Langone Health, Coming in January, 2022. 

Psychedelic drugs could be a path to a cure for severe anxiety in cancer patients. Dr. Stephen Ross’s research into magic mushrooms and other drugs offers people new hope.

Hearing loss is common. Physicians like Dr. Sean McMenomey are not. He shares his unlikely story from truck driver to surgeon, and the joy of restoring hearing using cutting edge technology.

Dr. Deborah Axelrod spent her career treating women for breast cancer. Then, she found a lump in her own breast. Hear how this experience did - and didn’t - change her as a physician.

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Imagine if it all changed - in a matter of seconds. Plastic surgeon Dr. Eduardo Rodriguez performs highly complex face transplant procedures on patients who are willing to risk it all - for a new face.

Dr. Robert Montgomery beat the odds - and his own genetics - to become a world-renowned transplant surgeon. Until his heart stopped, and he was in desperate need of a new organ.