When Manuel Rivera-Alsina, MD, first started feeling tired and short of breath, he blamed it on getting older. But when Manual, a maternal fetal medicine doctor, felt unable to keep up with hospital rounds, he knew something was seriously wrong.
Manuel first met with cardiologist, Mazen Hanna, MD, a member of Cleveland Clinic's Heart & Vascular Institute. A heart biopsy and an array of tests revealed that he had AL Amyloidosis. In AL, plasma cells produce an abnormal antibody protein. This protein buildup forms an amyloid, which latches on to tissues, nerves and organs.
In Manuel's case, the amyloid on his heart was putting him in congestive heart failure. Because amyloidosis is treated like a cancer, Manuel then met with oncologist Jason Valent, MD, from Cleveland Clinic's Amyloidosis Center.