week 7- Iqra Sajid

This week, I got to sit in on a lead pacemaker removal procedure. Normally, these procedures are pretty quick, but the one I observed was anything but normal. What was expected to take about 30 minutes ended up lasting almost four hours because of complications during the extraction.

While Dr.Cheung was removing the pacemaker, one of the leads broke off. Since the device had been implanted about 20 years ago, a lot of scar tissue had grown around it, causing it to become embedded in the heart. Dr. Cheung tried several different techniques to remove the remaining lead, but it proved to be extremely difficult. Even after multiple attempts, it would not come out safely. In the end, the decision was made to leave it in place for the time being. It was really interesting to watch how the team worked through such an unexpected complication, but it was also pretty nerve-racking since they were dealing directly with the heart.

Later in the week, I had the chance to shadow Dr. Gerardi during a cardiothoracic surgery. It was my first time seeing a fully open-heart procedure, and it was honestly one of the coolest experiences I've had so far. The surgery was definitely messy at times, but seeing everything up close gave me a much greater appreciation for how complex these operations are and how skilled the surgical team has to be.
One of the most memorable parts was seeing the heart at different stages throughout the procedure. At certain points, the heart was completely still while the surgeons worked, and then later I got to watch it start beating again. Seeing the heart go from motionless to pumping blood on its own was incredible!

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