Inflated Lung

Yesterday we got to go to the Hannover Medical school. It was by far the coolest thing we've done academically on this trip so far. As soon as we arrived at the organ transplant center, we were dressed from head to toe in protective gear. I even had to use hairnets for my shoes because my feet are gigantic and apparently don't fit normal shoe covers. We then proceeded into the operating room where a lung transplant was occurring on a pig. A team of surgeons we're huddled around the sliced open swine and meticulously threading together a transplanted lung. I had never seen any large surgery as this in action and it was a completely enlightening experience. To be able to see the beating heart of the pig while it received a new lung was amazing. The periodic thump of the heart nudged the doctor's hand as he flawlessly pieced together the organs. It is was one thing to listen about a lung transplant, but another to actually see this life saving operation in progress. These procedures are first tested on animals and then implemented on humans. Without these animal tests, human organ transplantation could never be executed. So to say the least, these are crucial experiments and operations. I found it even more impressive that the surgeons were able to answer questions while their hands were inside the pig. As the operation came to an end, the surgeons demonstrated the newly attached lung. The transplanted lung inflated with air and successfully performed its task.