Tomorrow morning, I begin my last week at Texas Heart Institute (THI). Had I chosen to stay in Houston, this is likely where I would have done my fellowships in critical care and adult cardiothoracic anesthesiology, but even as a resident, I’ve had such significant exposure to “fellow level” cases.
From ascending aorta hemiarch repairs and transplants (liver, lung, heart, and kidney) to ventricular assist devices (VADs) and transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs), THI has only reinvigorated my decision to pursue a cardiothoracic anesthesia fellowship. Besides the scheduled operating room and cath lab cases, we also provide anesthesia to patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery who have a significant cardiac histories (heart transplant, mechanical circulatory support, etc.) Doing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy on an otherwise healthy 20 year old is very different than on a 60 year old dependent on their biventricular assistant device.
Here’s hoping for a great last week! 🙂
