Viterbi School biomedical engineer and cardiologist Tzung John Hsiai hopes to develop a new tool to help clinicians distinguish cardiac emergencies requiring immediate surgery from chronic problems manageable with drugs and lifestyle change.

Cecal volvulus is axial twisting that occurs involving the cecum, terminal ileum, and ascending colon. Rarely, it may take the form of upward and anterior folding of the ascending colon (”cecal bascule”).