cardiac cath

Yesterday I had the opportunity to observe a cardiac catheterization. I've never been (awake) in an OR so it was really neat to see the set-up and how things are prepped prior to the procedure. It was also fun to have to wear the whole get-up - scrubs, booties, and the leaded vest and skirt. After all the time spent setting up the room, the procedure itself was fairly quick. The cardiologist gave me a short de-briefing afterwards, while we looked at the X-Rays and compared them to another patient in a very different situation. It really helped my understanding of what the MDs are looking for with this procedure.

I was also supposed to observe a PEG placement in the ICU today but they decided to do it an hour earlier than it was scheduled for and I didn't get to see it :( We don't seem to have them done all that often - maybe 1 every 3 weeks? So, hopefully I will have another opportunity before I have to leave!