Surgery

The open heart surgery phillip and I got to experience was almost unreal. The case was a man with coronary heart disease and an enlarged aorta. We got to see the surgery from beginning to end and it was definitely the highlight of the trip. At first I found the OR a little intimidating, especially not being able to understand what anyone was saying or doing, but the fear quickly turned into anxiety. I was getting nervous about them cutting open a man's chest in front of me, fortunately not something I experience everyday. Soon enough, though, I realized that the blood and the body didn't phase me at all, especially considering all I could think about was how awesome the human heart and this disease were.
What the surgery encompassed was taking a collateral vein from the patient's leg and then replacing part of the coronary artery with it and then attempting to fix the dilated part of the aorta. The great thing about the surgery was that we were finally getting exposed to a real life situation without holding anything back. We got to experience the adrenaline rush of a life or death situation and the pressures and responsibilities that come with becoming a doctor. I won't forget anything about that day and how I would feel about medicine after that. I can't wait to get into the more detailed stuff concerning medicine and start studying this kind of stuff. This surgery has reaffirmed my love for medicine and becoming a doctor.