Penn Medicine Physician Interviews

Electrocardiologist Matthew A. Bernabei, MD, examines the history of ablation for atrial fibrillation and its latest iteration, pulsed field ablation, or PFA. Now available at Penn Medicine, PFA uses an electrical field rather than radiofrequency or cryotherapy to treat the aberrant signals that are the source of Afib. Unlike other ablation modalities, PFA is cardio-selective, and thus poses little risk to structures near the heart, including the esophagus.

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Cancer and surgery specialists Drs. Kara Maxwell, Daniel Lee, Jennifer Zhang, and Bryson Katona delve into the nuances of BRCA-positive breast, prostate, and pancreatic cancers in men. This wide-ranging discussion encompasses BRCA heritability, diagnostics, screening, risks, and treatment options.

Dr. Jonathan Nahas offers a concise overview of alcohol-related liver diseases, addressing their causes, consequences, and effects on the liver, and examines the importance of thorough assessment and management strategies, including liver transplantation.

Kendall Lawrence, MD, a specialist in aorta surgery, examines the physiology, symptomatology, types, and causes of acute aortic dissection and describes the management of these events at the Penn Aorta Center—including Center’s direct-to-OR program for patients presenting with acute aortic emergencies.

Dr. Nawar Latif offers a nuanced overview of heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy, or HIPEC, as an adjunct to surgery in women with ovarian cancer. The introduction of heated chemotherapy at the peritoneum greatly increases its absorption and minimizes the toxicity of therapy.

Dr. E. John Wherry, Director of the Colton Center for Autoimmunity at Penn Medicine, offers his insight on the Center’s therapeutic and novel research missions to revolutionize awareness, diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune diseases through collaborative, transformative, and translational science.

Penn radiation oncologist Karishima Khullar, MD, offers an overview of low-dose radiation therapy for patients who have not responded to medications, steroid injections, and other standard treatments for osteoarthritis.

Clinician-researcher Daniel Lefler, MD, reviews Afami-cel, the first FDA-approved immunotherapy designed to treat synovial cancer, a rare, aggressive soft-tissue malignancy.

Rare, heritable Li-Fraumeni Syndrome, imposes an approximate 90% risk of breast cancer and the sarcomas, among other cancers, over the lifetime of affected individuals. Drs. Suzanne MacFarland, and Kara Maxwell, discuss the urgent need for early diagnosis and intensive life-long monitoring, family dynamics, communication, advocacy and the avenues for care in Li-Fraumeni.

Dr. Anuja Dokras reviews the Women's Health Center for Clinical Innovation, a leader in clinical advances, research, and interactive programs for women throughout the reproductive cycle, from inspiring fertility (Fast Track to Fertility) to postpartum care (HeartSafe Motherhood) and beyond.