Thursday, February 12, 2015
My second day visiting the Mayo Clinic was even more eye-opening than my first day.
I started today by shadowing Dr. Steidley again as he made his rounds. This time, I got the chance to listen to someone who had a heart murmur. I have to say, the patients at the Mayo Clinic are very receptive and supportive of me. They commend my endeavor to learn everything I can about the medical world, so that I can become a doctor.
Later that day, I worked with Dr. Steidley to calculate the Myocardial Contraction Fraction (MCF) of a patient. It was a relatively simple problem, as MCF is just the ratio of stroke volume to myocardial volume. Stroke Volume (SV) is calculated from a patient's Cardiac Output (CO) divided by the Heart Rate (HR) [SV=CO/HR]. Myocardial Volume (MV) is calculated from the cubed value of a patient's Left Ventricular End-Diastole Dimension (LVEDD) plus the Inter Ventricular Septum Thickness (IVST) plus the Posterior Wall Thickness (PWT) minus the cubed value of the Left Ventricular End-Diastole Dimension (LVEDD) [MV=(LVEDD+IVST+PWT)3-(LVEDD)3]. It took me about twenty minutes to solve the problem, as I later realized that I was dealing with two different measurements and my work wasn’t making any sense. I mention this story since it was a good lesson on living and learning, not to mention that it I thought it was pretty funny.
After I calculated the problem, I observed another open-heart surgery where Dr. Steidley inserted a catheter through a patient’s left ventricle. The surgery itself wasn’t even the highlight of my day. At the end of my day, I was allowed to sit in on a conference where the cardiologists at the Mayo Clinic were discussing which patients would receive the next heart transplant. As an outsider, it was interesting to see the doctors consider all types of factors for their decision. They considered matters such as age, organ stability, finances, access to family and friends, and current lifestyle. It was also interesting to see how long patients had been on the waiting list. Some were placed on there just yesterday where others had waited as long as a year and three months to receive a heart.
The more time I spend with Dr. Steidley and the other cardiologists at the Mayo Clinic, the more invested I become in my Senior Research Project.
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Hi Julius,
ReplyDeleteSounds like an amazing week! Great writing in your blog - it is wonderful to be able to follow along...
Mr. Bloom
Thank you Mr. Bloom!
DeleteJulius: I just typed a length comment which somehow fell into a black hole. This is an exciting opportunity for you. You have already conveyed your enthusiasm for the experience. You are very fortunate to be able to work with an outstanding mentor like Dr. Steidley. And, to add to this experience you have the potential opportunity to publish!!! I cannot guarantee how often I will be able to comment, but I am going to follow your SRP with deep interest. Good luck
ReplyDeleteMr. Nishan, this opportunity is becoming more rewarding each day I visit. I just recently started working on a publication proposal, so with diligence (and some luck) that opportunity may actually bear fruit. Regardless, I'll give it my best effort. Thank you!
DeleteIt seems like you're having a fascinating time at your SRP site! Quick question: what exactly is a Myocardial Contraction Fraction used for?
ReplyDeleteHey Julie! Theoretically, Myocardial Contraction Fraction can be used to differentiate patients with hypertensive hypertrophy, athletes with physiologic hypertrophy, or patients who may have cardiac transthyretin amyloidosis. In addition, it also acts as an accurate measure of ventricular performance.
DeleteIt seems like you've had a great time so far at the clinic! Out of curiosity, how were the results for that MCF problem? Were they average and expected, or did they give some sort of insight to the patient's lifestyle and/or condition?
ReplyDeleteHey Aarthi! My results were great! In fact, the problem I did on that one patient matched with the average of one group in the publication, which was really surprising. I'm not allowed to discuss what each patient has due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, but I would say that from my data the patient likely has an adverse heart condition.
DeleteHi Julius! I am amazed by the experiences that you've had thus far! Dr. Steidley has certainly provided you with some exceptional opportunities.
ReplyDeleteWhen you observe an open heart surgery, are you actually in the room? If so, what precautions must be taken... Does the patient sign their consent, must you wear gloves or a mask to ensure that no germs are transferred to the patient? Or, do you watch in a viewing room?
I am very interested to learn more! Keep up the great work!
Hey Ms. Mitrovich! I watch what happens in a viewing room. I'm not allowed to actually be in the room due to limited space and the emitted radiation from the X-Ray machine they frequently use. All the doctors, nurses, and technicians wear gloves and a mask to protect the patient from infection. I don't since I'm not in the room.
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