Today I got to shadow Dr. Deepak Pasi from North Carolina Heart and Vascular at Wakefield. I had an amazing time overall, but the most interesting thing that I got to learn about was a procedure called angioplasty, which helps remove blockages in the arteries. I got to watch a catheterization (through a monitor) LIVE, as the different movements of the catheter were happening! It was probably the next best thing to being in the cath lab! Dr. Pasi walked me through the technical aspects of the procedure, and how stents are used to clear arteries.
Another really special experience was getting to watch as Dr. Pasi saw patients in the different exam rooms. I got to listen to the lung and heart sounds of different patients, including a patient with a heart murmur (which is when blood flow is extremely turbulent, sometimes indicating valve problems). I also got to hear a patient’s lungs, but instead of hearing the normal air whooshing in and out, I heard a faint crackling noise because the patient’s lungs were filled with fluid.
