A neat little documentary

[Superbob]

Don't worry, despite the ambassador feeling that we have an inferiority complex, (you may not have heard of the leaked cable that was described in but we have heard it non-stop -not much else going on I guess) we in Ontario generally feel pretty secure about our medical system! It is a valid question though. I do fear that Doctor Cohen and his colleagues work too much. He seems comfortable with up to 80 hours/week now, and 6 or 8 surgeries but how long can he sustain? Maybe some of the surplus doctors mentioned in the articles I posted links to could move up here?

I did marvel, too, at this surgeon's stamina. Hopefully, his babies sleep soundly through the night so that he gets a good night's sleep. No matter how good the surgeon is, wouldn't want a sleep-deprived surgeon working on me. Worth thinking about how much a surgeon's spouse sacrifices so that we have have vital hours of good surgical care.

This documentary is the first I've seen personalizing the work of a great surgeon. Would love to see more of these about the work of these heroes not only in Canada but US and around the world. I thought the open-heart shots were handled well, so as not to induce squeamishness.

 

[yotphix]

Thanks for sharing that Paul. Really worthwhile. I'm having an angio on Monday to determine how soon I need my bicuspid valve replaced. I'm 42, married with a little girl and my own business in Melbourne, Oz. I checked your profile and see you had an AVR. I'm confused that your heart was beating in the doco - don't they stop the heart and put it on bypass? Or was it just at a certain stage of the op? How do you feel now? And how do you feel when you look at that video? Does it seem real that it's your heart they are holding??? Can your wife watch it ok? (In case it's obvious, my business is asking questions - I'm a freelance journalist

You're welcome. It's was a stroke of luck that they happened to be filming while I was there. I'm pleased that there is something to share. My heart was beating there as they inserted what I think are called cannula, to effect the bypass. There is another shot, cut from the final but which they showed me once, of the monitor as it goes to flat-line shortly after what you saw.

I feel absolutely fantastic now. 1 Year prior to the surgery I had no complaints. 3 months prior I was finding that I tired much to quickly. 18 months later (next week) I feel about like I did when I was 30! I run, bike, inline skate or walk 5-7 times per week, I work as much as ever, swim, ride a motorcycle and camp regularly. Three days post surgery I was willing to pronounce that it wasn't one tenth as tough as anyone would expect. Now I would say that if your experience is anything like mine (as a young fit person) it will be a snap for you.

When I look at the video I am thrilled to be able to see my hear. I loved my angiogram too. I was all twisted around so that I could watch on the big screen as they worked. It is especially cool when you see the contrast medium being dumped here and there. It does seem like it is my heart. Once I heard the Doc say it was a nice looking heart I was proud to claim it! My wife has watched it (and likely will again and again since we spend a lot of time in the same room). She handles it pretty well but she doesn't have the same sort of fascination with the open chest bit that I do.
Best of luck with things on Monday and beyond.

 

[yotphix]

It was an interesting documentary, thanks for sharing.
Dr Cohen I think must have been chosen for his bedside manner, most of the medical specialists I have come across are not nearly as jovial or chatty.
In the recovery ward scene the guy had some kind of heart shaped red balloon on his chest, I never saw anything remotely like it in hospital, any clues on what it was???

The red heart shaped balloon thing is actually just a pillow. They are given to each patient on the cardiac surgical recovery ward to hold against your chest when you cough. And to cheer you up. I still have mine somewhere. They send you home with them too.

 

[Superbob]

geez, Paul. I viewed the documentary late last night, and it went right by me that this was actually your heart on the screen, the one the surgeon pronounced a nice-looking heart. That makes this doubly cool -- glad all has worked out well for you and yours. Continued smooth sailing for you!

 

[yotphix]

geez, Paul. I viewed the documentary late last night, and it went right by me that this was actually your heart on the screen, the one the surgeon pronounced a nice-looking heart. That makes this doubly cool -- glad all has worked out well for you and yours. Continued smooth sailing for you!

Yep that's mine! The only thing I cringe at when I look at that is how much it would hurt if you were awake when they spread that sternum. We aren't though, and we are nicely doped afterward until the pain subsides. Thanks for the kind wishes and the same to you.

By the way, I like your idea. I would bet there would be a big audience for a show that highlighted a different health care professional each episode in either the US or Canada or both. People find this stuff fascinating, and there must be no shortage of really exceptional people in the medical world. And when we are frustrated with them it might do us all good to remember that they are people with families who have need of their time too!

 

[Lionheart]

Paul,
That was great! This video could serve as an introductory guide for future heart patients and what they can expect from the OR, to CICU, to recovery in the step down. When you were being prepped, I understood that look on your face. It brought back my own memories of pre-surgery and was a little tough to watch. What a great surgeon, he drives a nice Porsche convertible and has a wonderful understanding wife.
Thanks,
John

 

[Adrienne]

Saw that the other evening

Saw that the other evening

Hi Paul, I saw the second half of that the other night on TV. I am glad I got to see the first half now.

How cool that the patient was you!!! Did they ask you if they could film the operation?

 

[Duff Man]

thank you so much for posting this video

 

[Adrienne]

Wait times

Wait times

The average wait time for heat surgery in Quebec is about three months. I find that too long!

Bina, I know you didn't have to wait long, but maybe that is because they considered you an emergency.

 

[yotphix]

Paul,
I understood that look on your face. It brought back my own memories of pre-surgery and was a little tough to watch. What a great surgeon, he drives a nice Porsche convertible and has a wonderful understanding wife.
Thanks,
John

That't funny you noticed that look, it caught my attention too. The apprehension that slowly builds as you approach the day concentrates by that point into something like constant adrenaline rush and the look, to me, is one of barely contained panic! Oddly, I can barely remember anything about the two weeks prior to the surgery, in which I moved into a new apartment, furnished it and otherwise set my self up to be comfortable as I recovered. My family hosted a party for me and I visited all of my friends. What I do remember in minute detail is every second from the time I got out of the car in the parking lot a the hospital that morning, until the time the nice man in the surgical cap stuck the thing in my IV that put me out.
And yes, Dr. Cohen is definitely a great surgeon, and a great guy.
Paul

 

[yotphix]

The average wait time for heat surgery in Quebec is about three months. I find that too long!

Bina, I know you didn't have to wait long, but maybe that is because they considered you an emergency.

Adrienne, I wonder, was that how long you had to wait? I looked at the wait times posted by the Ontario Gov't onlline and they say 2 to 3 months too. Nobody I met had to wait that long at all. Weeks usually, sometimes only days. That makes me wonder how they measure wait times, and how accurate those measures are. Emergencies definitely do get dealt with when they need to though.

 

[yotphix]

Hi Paul, I saw the second half of that the other night on TV. I am glad I got to see the first half now.

How cool that the patient was you!!! Did they ask you if they could film the operation?

They did ask Adrienne. I had asked Dr. Cohen if he films his surgeries and he said no, but if I wanted to see my heart he would be happy to snap a pic or two while he is in there for me. The next day his Assistant called and asked if I would be interested in having it filmed because the CBC was working on this series. They contacted me and had me sign a pile of papers. They actually filmed hours of us before the surgery, at home, in the hospital and in the recovery.

 

[Adrienne]

My story a bit complicated

My story a bit complicated

Adrienne, I wonder, was that how long you had to wait? I looked at the wait times posted by the Ontario Gov't onlline and they say 2 to 3 months too. Nobody I met had to wait that long at all. Weeks usually, sometimes only days. That makes me wonder how they measure wait times, and how accurate those measures are. Emergencies definitely do get dealt with when they need to though.

My story is a bit different because as I was waiting to see my surgeon a second time after having an echo at the Heart Institute that he said to have 6 months after I saw him the first time, I went into A-Fib, went to the ER, was kept there and would have actually had the operation the week afterwards (after all the tests), but my surgeon was going to be in Belgium for two weeks. I saw him in the hospital right before he left, and he said the hospital would call me three days before the surgery (to stop the Coumadin that I was taking at the time). Well, it turned out to be about 7 weeks afterwards. If I had been content to let any surgeon do it, I could have had it the following week from going into the ER, but I wanted the best. In any case, my surgeon had already told me the first time I saw him that usually wait times are about 3 months.

 

[Bina]

The average wait time for heat surgery in Quebec is about three months. I find that too long!

Bina, I know you didn't have to wait long, but maybe that is because they considered you an emergency.

I had met my surgeon in April 2005 and he said there was no rush, and I didn't want a summer surgery.
Then in late August I had booked a stress echo with another cardio and she promptly "failed" me even before I got
on the treadmill. Echo readings were bad and I was sent back to see surgeon in September, he booked me the next day for
a cath, and 2 weeks later for the surgery.