Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Our Services >
  • Heart & Vascular >
  • ... >
  • About Us >
  • Patient Stories >
  • Heart Disease >
  • Jim Julian
Heart & Vascular
About Us
Awards & Recognition
Your Care Team
Classes, Events, & News
Giving
Patient Stories
Heart Disease
Heart Rhythm Disorder
Heart Transplant
Heart Valve Disease
Pulmonary Hypertension
Vascular Conditions
Ventricular Assist Device (VAD)
Conditions We Treat
Our Services
For Patients
For Professionals & Students
Our Locations
Contact Us
Heart & Vascular
About Us
Awards & Recognition
Your Care Team
Classes, Events, & News
Giving
Patient Stories
Heart Disease
Heart Rhythm Disorder
Heart Transplant
Heart Valve Disease
Pulmonary Hypertension
Vascular Conditions
Ventricular Assist Device (VAD)
Conditions We Treat
Our Services
For Patients
For Professionals & Students
Our Locations
Contact Us

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

Jim Julian: Triple Bypass Surgery

Jim Julian

The Challenge: Blocked Arteries and Cardiac Arrest

Jim Julian owns a deli and has always been very active. When his cough and chest congestion wouldn’t go away, his doctor suggested a stress test.

Because of a minor concern during the routine stress test, Jim’s doctor ordered a more intensive nuclear stress test at UPMC Mercy.

When Jim stepped on the treadmill for the exercise part of the test, he had no idea of the drama that followed.

“The next thing I knew, I was on the ground. Luckily my nurse, Colleen, caught me before I fell,” said Jim.

He’d gone into cardiac arrest, which happens when the heart stops beating and blood can’t flow throughout the body.

Without immediate treatment, cardiac arrest is fatal.

The Path to UPMC for Heart Care

Jim’s care team used CPR and an automated external defibrillator to get his heart beating again.

Once Jim stabilized, they sent him for a transradial heart catheterization right away. During a transradial heart cath, doctors use an artery in the arm as an access point to find blocked arteries.

It was then that his cardiologist, Christopher Wentz, MD, found Jim had three blocked arteries in his heart.

With no time to lose, Jim went into surgery.

The Solution: Heart Surgery and Cardiac Rehabilitation

Claudio Lima, MD, a heart surgeon, performed a triple bypass to restore blood flow to Jim’s heart muscle.

After four and a half days in the hospital, Jim went home. He had to adapt to some changes, like not being able to drive.

“It was hard to rely on rides from others for 40 days,” he said.

But, Jim recognized how crucial it was to follow doctor’s orders post-surgery.

Jim enrolled in cardiac rehab three times a week at the UPMC Mercy Outpatient Center at Green Tree in late August.

Ambitious to recover and gain his strength back, he decided to keep going to rehab. He now goes on his own five days a week, where he spends at least 30 minutes exercising.

“Rehab has been most rewarding,” he said. “Every aspect: mentally, physically, and emotionally. I get the support I need and answers about any symptoms I might feel. I have no intention of ever stopping my efforts to get better. I feel great.”

As a person who has always been active, Jim says he's now feeling back to his old self. And he's getting back to making exercise a part of his daily routine.

He has follow-up visits with Dr. Wentz once a year.

Reflecting back on his journey he overcame, Jim says he’s thankful for the tremendous staff at UPMC Mercy for saving his life.


Jim's treatment and results may not be representative of similar cases.

Read more Heart Disease patient stories


Learn More About Heart Disease

 UPMC HealthBeat Blog

  • The Difference Between Heart Attack and Cardiac Arrest
  • 6 Tips to Help You Make the Most of Cardiac Rehab
  • Cardiac Rehab FAQs

 UPMC Health Library

  • Cardiac Rehabilitation
  • Cardiac Rehabilitation Team
UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login