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Ann Thorac Surg 2006;81:1554-1556
© 2006 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

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Presidential address

How Many Lives Did You Save Today?

University of Virginia Medical Center, Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, Virginia

^_* Address correspondence to Dr Kron, University of Virginia Medical Center, Health Sciences Center, PO Box 800679, Rm 2753, Lee St, Charlottesville, VA 22908 (Email: ikron@virginia.edu).

The first 300 words of the full text of this article appear below.

	Introduction

 
Approximately 10 years ago I had a particularly difficult 48 hours. I was on call one evening and ended up doing an adult cardiac transplant. Shortly thereafter an acute aortic dissection came in. Fortunately, the repair went well. I ended up doing my elective cases scheduled the next day including an infant arterial switch, and some adult cardiac surgical cases. As I was preparing to come home, an infant heart became available for an extremely ill child who was in the pediatric intensive care unit with end stage cardiomyopathy. I ended up doing that transplant as well.

Finally I stumbled home that Saturday morning. It had been a particularly difficult time period. We had trouble arranging for intensive care unit beds. The operating room was packed, and it was difficult to get cases done. To say the least, I was troubled and tired of the hospital. I wandered through my doors at home and my youngest son, who at that time was age 7, caught me by the sleeve. He said "Dad, how many lives did you save today?" I began to think about it, and realized at least four actually. The two transplant recipients, the infant for the arterial switch, and the patient with the Type A aortic dissection would not have survived without the surgeries that I was privileged to do. Suddenly my troubles that day disappeared. It was an honor to be able to offer these patients' families new life for their loved ones. Who else gets the opportunity to do that? I had forgotten what I used to say as a resident. "They actually are going to pay us for doing this." Obviously it comes at a high cost to us, and our families. The hours are extensive, the educational process is incredibly long, and patients' . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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