A "Heart" Stopping Experience!!

(originally written 12/01/2010)

WOW!! Today was awesome!! I just left an operating room where I saw a 65 year old man get an artificial heart transplant. All I can say is WOW!! Although I was unable to actually see the whole procedure, I was lucky enough to see the doctors attach tubes and machine to the patient’s heart and then stitch the patient’s chest back together. A million things were running thru my mind. Why did this man need the transplant? Was he married? Did he have a family and if so, where were they? How much pain would he be in when he woke up? My brain was in analysis overload. At first, I thought the sight of an open chest and blood would be mind boggling, especially the smell. But my stomach didn’t turn at all. I enjoyed every moment of the surgery. I find it amazing how long the doctors operate on the patient without breaks or time to spare. I was only in the operating room for 2 hours. The operation had to have been at least 6 hours long. I could go on and on about this experience. I wasn’t in an observation room. I was actually in the OR! A once in a lifetime experience…at least till I become a doctor myself.

It took me by surprise that the doctors joked around and laughed while performing the surgery. I thought doctors were supposed to be serious during those times. I guess when you know what you’re doing it doesn’t matter as much. I wish I spoke German. I’m still a little confuse about what all happened while observing the operation. It would have been so helpful if I knew what they were saying throughout the procedure. It sucks not being able to speak German and communicate effectively with natives. There were at least 7 people in the room at each and every moment, and surprisingly each one of them was needed for a particular task. Medicine is so amazing! Now if only I could understand the telemedicine concept. Dr. Roussel and Dr. Wasser both believe it will become increasingly important during my duration of practicing medicine. Not too sure how I feel about that. Guess I’ll cross that bridge when I stumble across it.