Variety: What Marc Malkin Wants You to Know About His Lifesaving Journey
Variety recently published a column by Cedars-Sinai patient and entertainment journalist Marc Malkin chronicling his experience being diagnosed with and treated for a serious heart condition at the Smidt Heart Institute.
Cedars-Sinai cardiologist Erika Jones, MD, discovered that Malkin had an aortic root aneurysm, a weakening of the aortic wall that can rupture and be fatal if left untreated. She referred him to the Smidt Heart Institute Aortic Surveillance Clinic, which monitored the aneurysm as it grew.
Eventually, the aneurysm became large enough that it could be dangerous. Dominick Megna, MD, surgical co-director of the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit, told Malkin he would eventually require a valve-sparing root replacement, a surgical procedure that removes the damaged part of the aorta while preserving the valve. Malkin underwent the procedure in March 2025.
“It was better to be preventive than risk an emergency situation,” Malkin wrote.
After a long surgery and eight days in the hospital, Malkin worried about the impact of his recovery on his career. Would his life ever return to normal?
But thanks to his participation in the cardiac rehabilitation program at Cedars-Sinai three days a week, Malkin is back at work, feeling healthy and resilient.
“I couldn’t look at my scar for at least a month after the surgery,” Malkin said. “Today, I show it to anyone who asks because I am proud of where I’ve been and what I’ve survived.”
Malkin is now spreading awareness about heart health, speaking at American Heart Association events and urging people to see their doctors. He wants to send the message that “if something is feeling off in your body or you have heart disease in your family, please talk to your doctor.”
Click here to read the complete article from Variety.