Also known as: Enlarged adenoids
Erma is a frequent patient who returns repeatedly to the hospital. Dr. Reynolds discovers she has large inflamed adenoids in her sinuses causing snoring, aching, and cough, which she had been too embarrassed to mention. She requires simple surgery to correct the condition.
Also known as: Heart failure
An unnamed patient undergoes a groundbreaking artificial heart transplant surgery at New Amsterdam. The surgery is described as potentially history-making, representing progress toward eliminating heart disease as the leading cause of death. Dr. Reynolds is initially assigned but removed from the surgery, which is ultimately performed by Dr. Flores.
Also known as: Heroin addiction
Lauren's mother presents to the ED appearing to seek pills for pain. She has constricted pupils indicating intoxication and a history of prescription opioid use. Lauren initially assumes she is drug-seeking, creating significant conflict between them, but the underlying cause of her pain is eventually discovered.
After initially dismissing her mother as drug-seeking, Leyla discovers cysts above her spleen on ultrasound, revealing endometriosis. This explains 30 years of chronic pain that had been dismissed by doctors and attributed to drug-seeking behavior or mental illness. The diagnosis validates Jeanie's suffering and repairs her relationship with her daughter Lauren.
Also known as: Alcoholism
Lauren identifies her mother as a 'hard-core alcoholic' with an enlarged spleen from chronic alcohol use. This complicates the diagnostic picture when evaluating her mother's complaints of pain.
Hayma is a Burmese refugee and asylee with a poorly fitting prosthetic leg that tears into her skin, causing constant pain and infection. This is her fourth revision surgery in a decade due to insurance limitations preventing her from getting a better quality prosthesis. She ultimately receives a high-quality prosthetic donated by the Manhattan Museum.
Also known as: PTSD
Hayma's grandmother fled Burma after military retaliation for her protests in school, losing her family and everything she owned. Seeing her stolen harp in the hospital triggers memories she had suppressed for 50 years in order to start a new life, causing significant psychological distress.