What started out as a normal Friday morning on the golf course in September 2025 led to a life-altering visit to the emergency department for Michael Drenning. He was rushed to UPMC Altoona after experiencing cardiac arrest while golfing.
“I have no memory of playing golf that day,” Michael says. “When I arrived at the hospital, the cardiologist thought there was a good chance I was brain dead.”
Michael feels immense gratitude for everyone who helped him that day, including his fellow golfers who performed CPR on the golf course while they waited for the ambulance to arrive.
Fortunately, once he made it to the hospital, testing confirmed that there were no signs of brain damage. However, a heart catheterization performed by UPMC cardiologist George Jabbour, MD, made it clear that Michael would need to undergo a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedure.
Having a history of heart problems, Michael wasn’t shocked when he was told he would need this surgery. Daniel Ciaburri, MD, a cardiothoracic surgeon at UPMC Altoona, immediately instilled confidence in Michael that he could have this procedure done close to home and that he was in good hands.
“He kept saying to me, ‘You’re going to be so much better because of this. You have been this way for a long time, and this is really going to help you out,'” Michael explains. “So, that was my thought process — that this is going to make me better. I thought, ‘Whatever I have to deal with after the surgery, I’ll deal with.’”
Bypass Surgery A Few Weeks Later
Michael underwent the CABG procedure in November 2025 after he'd had some time to recover from the cardiac arrest and a case of pneumonia that followed.
Knowing he had such expert-level care close to home, with family nearby, made Michael feel even more comfortable about the surgery. And the hospital team was there to support him every step of the way.
“My experience at UPMC Altoona was awesome. Dr. Ciaburri was great with my family and me. The nurses were fantastic, and the cardiac intensive care unit could not have been any better,” Michael says. “Anytime I picked up the phone to call the surgeon’s office staff, I was able to get through to them.”
In the months following the surgery, Michael has been working to rebuild his strength and get back to the things he loves.
“I’ve been doing cardiac rehab, and I don’t have issues with being short of breath. I can walk much further than I was able to before. There is no doubt that it has improved my health,” Michael says. “I go out for dinner, I’ve been going to wrestling matches, and I have grandchildren that keep me active, too.”
Gratitude for His Recovery
He feels incredibly grateful for how far he’s come since that day on the golf course.
“It was a long four-month process, but it was incredible,” he shares. “There are times when I sit here and feel amazed that I made it and that I’m here.”
Michael encourages anyone living in the Altoona area to visit UPMC Altoona if they need heart care.
“If I talk to people who need to have this surgery, I would tell them not to hesitate to go to that hospital,” he says. "Don’t feel the need to travel. The care is as good as any care you’ll find elsewhere.”
To learn more about the heart and vascular services available at UPMC Altoona, visit UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute | Altoona, Pa.
Michael’s treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.
