So this is a brand new rotation site for hands-on pediatrics and I am the guinea pig. The cardiac team consists of 3 surgeons (one which was just given privileges last week, so don't know how they will be yet). The two I have worked with very rarely get upset in the OR, and lack the "normal" personality of a cardiac surgeon. One of the surgeons I clearly define as a machine, he will operate all day and night without stopping. My first week here I worked over 40 hours on just Monday and Tuesday, finishing the week off at over 70 hours. My first week at Vandy consisted of a redo RV to PA conduit, MV repair with AVSD repair, Fontan, Interrupted aortic arch, Berlin Heart Bi-VAD implantation with Quadrox-ID pediatric oxygenator in line for ECMO support, Glenn shunt, DORV/VSD repair with arterial switch, ASD PAPVR repair, and bidirectional Glenn Shunt....whew that was a lot.
There are 4 perfusionists here, all are great people to work with. The chief perfusionist is not in the OR as much as the other three but he is there in the office daily, and he is a process improvement machine, so if you bring him an idea he wants to know all about it and be prepared to do the research to back up your stuff! This hospital does A LOT of ECMO which unfortunately is not controlled by perfusion right now, but the ECMO program is going under some major changes so who knows! This site is amazing, I have never done the same case twice, they are never routine, and each day is a new challenge. Be prepared to learn a lot but be patient because they are a little slow to let you pump a case, and you really have to prove your worth to sit behind the main seat. They use roller pumps, with terumo circuits, Terumo systems 1 heart-lung machine, and TLINK charting. This center is 100% electronic charting for the patient records so if your used to paper this is going to be a major change for you. Oh and you are on call 100% of the time (yes this includes weekends)!
Nashville is an awesome place to live! For those venturing here in the winter season expect snow instantly turned to ice (and the people here don't know how to drive in it..lol). If you have any questions feel free to email me sonyaburrell1@gmail.com
Sonya
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