I spend most of my time at the Fundación Cardiovascular either in the operating room or seeing patients in the clinic. So far, I have assisted in several vein strippings (safenovaricectomias) in the legs and retroperitoneal gonadal vein ligatures, as well as about five arterio-venous fistulas for dialysis patients and also one femoral-distal bypass. The team has taught me how to help close with several different types of sutures: subcutaneous and "colchonero", which is the mattress stitch. I have included a picture of me assisting Dr. Amarillo (the "yellow fellow") in a cephalo-brachial terminal lateral fistula.
Yesterday in the afternoon I had the opportunity to accompany Dr. Paille from the Fundación during his ER shift at the hospital across the street, Centro Medico Carlos Ardilla Lulle. While seeing a patient who was complaining of inguinal pain, I helped Dr. Paillie examine the abdomen and we discovered that the patient had a very obvious abdominal aortic aneurysm. The arteriography later on showed us that it was >5 cm, meaning it will be a surgical case. Not only did I actually get to touch an AAA, but I helped find it. It was one of the coolest things ever. Interestingly, it turns out that this man, who was a "campesino" or farmer, had never had a proper physical exam and he had absolutely no idea that he had a pulsatile mass in his abdomen.
xoxokr
No comments:
Post a Comment