Breast Cancer: We’ll Get Through It Together

At age 39, Fairfield resident Annette Serniak had never given much thought to breast cancer. She hadn't yet had her first mammogram, and didn't perform regular breast self-exams. But she knew something was wrong when she accidentally found a lump.

Read Annette's story

Breathing a Sigh of Relief

A month before his life-saving heart surgery, freelance photographer Bob Winkler of Stratford couldn’t take a single step without gasping for breath. Today, he’s back to work—and to taking the stairs!

Read Bob's story

Bridgeport Hospital Expands Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery to Include Gynecological Conditions

Bridgeport Hospital surgeons are now using the robot-assisted minimally invasive technique for select gynecological procedures. Patients who undergo surgery using this new method usually experience less scarring and a faster return to their daily routines.

Learn more about MIS for gynecological conditions

Trumbull patient endorses hospitals stroke care

Seventy-year-old Theresa DiGennaro of Trumbull also endorses the quality of Bridgeport Hospital’s stroke care. She suffered a stroke on Sept. 21, received immediate care at the hospital and was back home a week later, with no physical or cognitive disabilities.

Read Theresa's story

Back on Track

Greg Bauer of Darien, pictured with his dog, Lilly, is jogging again after having laparoscopic surgery to repair a hernia.

Read Greg's story

Beth's Garden

How one family has remembered their beloved mother and daughter - and made a difference in the lives of other cancer patients.

Read Beth's story

Caring for Cary

It takes special knowledge and equipment to treat a burn victim. And it takes special skill and understanding to treat a child. When the burn victim is a child, expertise must rise to the very highest level—like that found at Bridgeport Hospital.

Read Cary's story

Connecticut Cardiac Arrhythmia Center

The first of its kind in the region, the Connecticut Cardiac Arrhythmia Center in the Heart Institute at Bridgeport Hospital provides comprehensive evaluation and advanced treatment for patients with heart rhythm abnormalities. The Connecticut Cardiac Arrhythmia Center’s board-certified cardiac electrophysiologists (cardiologists with advanced training in heart rhythm disorders) and cardiothoracic surgeon work together to provide the most appropriate treatment for each patient’s needs.

Learn more about the Connecticut Cardiac Arrhythmia Center

da Vinci "S" Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery: What Do You Need to Know?

"The new da Vinci "S" Surgical System allows surgeons to perform more complex procedures with greater dexterity than traditional open surgery or standard minimally invasive surgery," explains Bridgeport Hospital Chief of Urology Arthur Pinto, MD. "The results are less post-operative pain, a shorter hospital stay and a faster recovery."

Learn more about robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery

Getting Rid of Gallstones for Good

Gallstones are made from bile—a liquid created in the liver and stored in the gallbladder until it's needed to digest food. Bile can crystallize into pieces of stony material, as small as a grain of sand or as big as a golf ball.

Learn more about gallstones

Howard's Heart

Atrial fibrillation patient Howard Chess, 59, traveled 1,400 miles from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, early last year to meet with Dr. Robinson and electrophysiologist Craig McPherson, MD. (An electrophysiologist is a cardiologist who specializes in treating heart rhythm disorders.) Howard credits them for giving him a second chance to live the life of his dreams.

Read Howard's story

Knocking Cancer Out of the Park

Carmella Marranzino of Stratford was at work when she got the call from her doctor. After hanging up with her gynecologist, Carmella immediately called her daughter and asked her to stop by the house that evening. “I tried to downplay the diagnosis,” remembers Carmella. “I told her I had been spotting for a while and that my doctors had done some tests that detected uterine cancer.”

Read Carmella's story

Regular Screenings Prevent Colon Cancer

If you don’t like the idea of colon screenings (and who does?), and you think the benefits aren’t worth the discomfort, there’s a family we’d like you to meet: siblings Bob and John Wonneberger and Lissa Wonneberger Kowalski, whose family history makes them perfect poster people for the importance of regular colon screenings.

Learn more about colonoscopies

Restoring Ronnie's Rhythm

Ronnie Steeves never suspected his breathlessness was related to a heart condition.

Read Ronnie's story

Robot-Assisted Fibroid Fix

Kim Bassett of Newtown admits, “It was so worthwhile to take a few weeks off to ‘fix’ something that had been sapping my emotional energy for 18 months.”

Read Kim's story

Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Surgery for OB/GYN Conditions

Until recently, open surgery was the only way to remove them. But thanks to the advanced techniques of minimally invasive surgery (also referred to as laparoscopic surgery), surgeons can perform many operations through a few tiny openings. As a result, patients experience less scarring and blood loss, lower risk of infection, shorter hospital stays, less post-operative pain and quicker recoveries.

Learn more about MIS for OB/GYN Conditions

Robot-Assisted Rescue

To everyone’s relief, Brian Jones’ surgeon had the expertise to get “it” out quickly—and Brian (pictured above, second from left) could get back to work, his family life and planning for the future. Pictured above with Brian are (left-right) Brian’s wife Mary Jane, grandson Connor, daughter Jennifer and granddaughter Olivia.

Read Brian's story

Rose of Hope Patient Speaker Karen O’Neil’s Breast Cancer Journey

My breast cancer journey began on November 26, 2012 when I found a lump in my breast. I was a 38-year-old school teacher at the time with two young daughters and an amazing husband. From that moment on, my life became a whirlwind of emotions, phone calls and appointments. It went something like this.

Read Karen's story

The Four-Letter Word

Dawn´s own story began in 1991. She came to work one day with a swollen neck, and a concerned co-worker urged her to see a doctor. She was diagnosed with Hodgkin Lymphoma in her chest and neck. After six rounds of successful chemotherapy and a month of radiation therapy in The Cancer Center, she went into remission: no more cancer cells could be found. That makes Dawn a winner. But her story doesn´t end there.

Read Dawn's story
The Bruno Family

The Husband's Point of View

Sandra Bruno's husband, Ken, is a take-charge guy. But when his wife developed breast cancer, he knew that his would be a supporting role.

Read Ken's story

The Most Robot-Assisted Surgeries in Fairfield County

You may have heard about robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery, but did you know that Bridgeport Hospital physicians have performed more than 700 procedures—more than any other hospital in Fairfield County?

Learn more about robot-assisted surgery

The Teacher / Coach

This lifelong educator finds that her own experience with Breast Cancer is inspiring her to teach others.

Read Jane's story
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