SECRET HEART, WHAT ARE YOU MADE OF?

Today was absofreakinwickedawesome! Quite possibly the BEST day of my life.

The smell cauterized/burning flesh, the sound of bone being sawed through, the silent whir of bypass. It was everything I hoped and more.

In prep for my big OR debut I prepared by asking anyone and everyone that's ever been to the OR what to expect-everything from sights, smells, sounds etc. I read all my textbooks on the procedures. I read my hospital handouts. I watched online videos. I had a huge breakfast and scarfed down a granola bar right before the surgery. There was no way I was gonna pass out during this!

The surgical team consisting of 1 surgeon, 2 residents, 2 anesthesiologists, 1 perfusionist, 1 circulating nurse, 1 scrub nurse, an observing med student and myself (an observing student) were amazing. Everyone working together to keep the pt alive, yet without a beating heart or breathing lungs. This is a team I desperately want to be on.
I spent the duration of the 5 hour CABG x 2 and AVR Tissue surgery with the med student perched upon a little stool at the pt's head just inches away from her open chest. I could see everything. I seen the heart stop beating at the onset of cardioplegia, I seen the saphenous vein being extracted from her leg and get sown onto her heart in two places. I seen the aorta get sliced open and the new valve intricately sown in using 5 different colors of sutures. Things got interesting when they misjudged the finishing time and the heart began beating prematurely sending blood squirting to nearly the ceiling on every beat (good thing I wore a face mask!) Finally they brought her sternum back together using metal wires; sutured and stapled her up. Dr. S was fantastic! Introduced me to the whole team, joked around a little bit during the less intense moments (telling me stories of how Dr. B was on Oprah...or was it Jerry Springer?!) and apologizing after the F-bombs started flying during the more intense moments. He was very good at answering all my questions and assuring me that they were great questions.

After the surgery I followed my pt down to the ICU where I persuaded the ICU nurse to let me work with her for the rest of the day. This was also a wicked experience since students don't get a lot of opportunities to go to the ICU. While there I got to insert a nasal tube, deep suction, hang IV meds, change a central line dressing, change and cleanse the sternal incision dressing and lots of other cool things.

I love today.