Houser The Operated Heart at Autopsy

1. Auflage 2009
ISBN: 978-1-60327-808-9
Verlag: Humana Press
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 238 Seiten, eBook

After 17 years of private practice as a cardiovascular surgeon, my partners qu- tionedtherationalityofmydecisiontoleavetheclinicalpracticebehindandbecome acardiovascular pathologist. Infact,theirdisbeliefofmyintentiontomakethe“leap of faith” was understandable. For a surgeon, the operating room is where the action is. It is as simple as that. And when a cardiac surgeon can hold in his hand a beating heart, now off-bypass and improved by an operation just completed, satisfaction is real and profound. However, life is complex. Throughout my surgical career, questions regarding the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease arose; curiosities of va- ous phenotypes of the disease piqued my interest. I became aware of the power of investigative techniques that might address these questions. I then began to realize that my career in the operating room left me little time to address them. I needed to study the disease full time in order to contribute to my understanding of it. Ironically, my ?rst autopsy as a pathology resident was on an individual with a past history of coronary artery bypass surgery. When it came to examining the heart, the dissection, as all pathologists know, was complex. However, I found it to be straightforward and enjoyable. But I subsequently learned that my fellow re- dents and mentors did not share my intrigue and comfort in de?ning the nuances of the operated heart.

Zielgruppe

Professional/practitioner

Autoren/Hrsg.

Houser, Stuart Lair

Inhaltsverzeichnis

External Evidence of Open-Heart Surgery.- Exposing the Cardiopulmonary Block.- The Postmortem Coronary Injection.- The Cardiac Dissection.- Putting It All Together.- Congenital Heart Disease and Surgical Footprints.- A Matter of Mindset.