At 90, Art Ulene, MD, Is Still Climbing Toward His Peak

Art Ulene, MD, celebrated his 90th birthday at nearly 20,000 feet above sea level- standing atop Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

It was his fourth time reaching the summit, but this climb came after years of care at Cedars-Sinai, including spine surgery and, more recently, a right hip replacement for severe arthritis.

Since returning from Kilimanjaro, Ulene has reached another milestone: He underwent a second hip replacement, this time on his left side. Now, with two new hips and another recovery underway, he already has his sights set on his next goal-getting back on the ski slopes. His season pass is purchased and waiting.

"The secret is that I am trying to live up to my peak span," Ulene said. "Most people talk about lifespan-that's how long you're alive. A very important thing is 'healthspan.' I want to live up to my peak potential for my age."

One Step at a Time

For Ulene, Kilimanjaro was about more than reaching a summit. He views the mountain as a metaphor for navigating the challenges of life.

"The mountain has peaks and valleys. Life has peaks and valleys," said the former Today show medical expert. "It's an up-and-down process."

Near the summit, when the final stretch still looked impossibly far away, Ulene stopped focusing on the distance remaining.

"Can I take the next step? Of course I can," he recalled thinking. "What about the step after that? Yeah, I can do that too. And you just repeat that 800 times and you're at the summit."

It's a philosophy he applies far beyond climbing.

"I call Kilimanjaro 'Mount Metaphor,'" Ulene said. "The same lessons I learned on the mountain can be used to get over those problems. … One step at a time."

Getting Back to What Matters

Ulene's history with Cedars-Sinai-as a physician-stretches back decades. He recalls delivering babies at the former Mount Sinai Hospital as early as 1963.

More recently, though, he became the patient.

In 2023, debilitating back pain led him to Cedars-Sinai spine surgeon Terrence Kim, MD, for spine surgery. Ulene said he has been pain-free since the procedure.

Then came his hips.

Ulene-father-in-law of Cedars-Sinai pediatric spine surgeon David Skaggs, MD-was referred to orthopedic surgeon Carlos Guanche, MD, after worsening hip pain began interfering with his mobility and active lifestyle.

Imaging showed severe arthritis in Ulene's right hip, with little remaining joint space. Guanche performed an anterior-approach total hip replacement.

Ulene was walking within hours of surgery and went home the next day. Within days, he had progressed from a walker to a cane-and soon abandoned the cane, too.

"I have not had a single pain or problem with the hip he replaced," Ulene said. "I climbed Kilimanjaro; never felt a pain."

Guanche said Ulene's physical conditioning and determination were important parts of his recovery.

"I always tell patients it's a team effort," Guanche said. "The doctor is only one part of it. The rehabilitation and the patient's mental attitude are a huge component."

Ulene had given himself a powerful goal: Kilimanjaro.

"He was dead set on getting to Kilimanjaro," Guanche said. "That was his goal, and then he took it over after that."

For Guanche, Ulene also illustrates why age alone doesn't tell the whole story when physicians evaluate older adults for surgery. A patient's overall health and medical conditions, he said, are important considerations when determining whether surgery is appropriate.

Building a Longer Healthspan

Ulene may be exceptional, but his geriatrician, Allison Moser Mays, MD, said the lesson from his story isn't that everyone needs to climb Kilimanjaro.

It's that everyone can find their own mountain.

"Dr. Ulene is exceptional in so many ways," Mays said. "But that doesn't mean that the rest of us can't have our own physical achievements and accomplishments within the context of our own lives or our own capabilities."

Mays encourages older adults to think not only about lifespan, but also healthspan-the years spent healthy enough to continue doing the things that give life meaning.

And it is never too late to start moving, she said.

For adults 65 and older, Mays recommends working toward 150 minutes of cardiovascular activity each week, along with two strength-training sessions and one to two sessions focused on balance and flexibility.

"You can build strength and muscle mass at any age, so it's never too late to get going," Mays said.

The goal doesn't have to involve a mountain. For one person, it might be attending a granddaughter's wedding. For another, traveling to see family, walking regularly or simply maintaining the strength and balance needed to remain independent.

The Next Peak

Ulene recently underwent his left hip replacement with Guanche after arthritis began causing pain on that side as well.

And after recovery?

Ski season.

Ulene has already bought his season pass and plans to take lessons to sharpen his technique. He and Guanche are even planning to hit the slopes together at the end of February. It's another goal in a life increasingly organized around a simple question: What am I still capable of?

"I did this climb to find out what my peak was," Ulene said. "I wanted to know who I was, what I was capable of."

And at 90, he is already thinking about the decade ahead.

"I plan to spend the next 10 years trying to get people to live up to their peak," he said. "It takes work, but it's worth it."

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