OCR Text |
Show Monday, December 2, 2013 ARCHIVE Continued from page 1 his own heart," he said. The recipient of the artificial heart, Barney Clark of Seattle, Wash., was suffering from cardiomyopathy, an inoperable deterioration of the heart muscle. His surgery, originally scheduled for 8 a.m. Thursday, was moved up to late Wednesday night when Clark's condition began deteriorating rapidly. The decision to proceed with the operation ahead of schedule, according to the Medical Center's Director of Development and Community Relations John Dwan, was made about 8 p.m. Wednesday. By ioa5 p.m. the surgical team and the operating room were ready and an anesthesiologist began preparing Clark for an operation doctors said was his last hope for life. At II:27 p.m. DeVries made the first incision into Clark's chest, from the sternum to the abdomen. Then the waiting began. Hordes of reporters, both local and national, were crammed into an improvised media center in a Medical Center cafeteria, fighting for space with photographers and television and radio crews. The lower ventricles of Clark's natural heart were removed at 12:07 a.m. Thursday. At 1:55 a.m. the left ventricle of the Jarvik-7 heart was put into place. Twelve minutes later the right ventricle was connected. Dwan briefed reporters at 2:23 a.m. and gave the first indication of the DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE problem the surgical team faced. He said the team was having difficulty suturing some small leaks in the patients flesh, caused by cortisone treatments prior to surgery. But that, he said, would only delay the operation and did not pose any real threat to its success. Then came a long silence from Dwan and his staff. Spokesman Mark Sands said the team was encountering minor difficulties that would delay the completion of the surgery. Still, no need to worry, he said. But the press was becoming nervous. The operation, originally planned for three to four hours, had dragged on for more than five, with no word from Dwan for two hours. Finally, at 5 a.m., Peterson ended the speculation. Yes, there were problems, he said. But they had been overcome, and for nearly an hour Clark's new plastic and aluminium Jarvik-7 artificial heart had been sustaining his life. "Pressures coming out of the artificial heart are now entirely normal and satisfactory," he said. DeVries and his surgical team had encountered three main problems, Peterson said. Clark's lung had swollen because of his previous congestive heart failure, but the situation was quickly stabilized, Peterson said. Second, he said, the bleeding of the delicate tissues caused by the cortisone treatment was under control. The third problem was getting the artificial heart's outflow track functioning properly, according to Peterson. "After the left heart was put in, we weren't satisfied with the output. We knew from our animal experiments the problem was either with the position of the heart or something mechanically wrong with it," DeVries said. DeVries said the heart was removed and repositioned twice, and although the outflow improved each time, the surgical team was still not happy with it. "The last time we decided to use the backdrop heart we had on the shelf. It worked beautifully," DeVries said. Peterson again addressed the reporters at 6:3o a.m. "I just talked by telephone with Dr. DeVries, and I am happy to report the patient now has a blood pressure of an i8-year-old-male," he said. Peterson added that mechanically, the procedure was entirely successful at that point. At 6:35 a.m. Dr. Robert Jarvik, the designer of the heart and president of Kolff Medical Inc., which donated the heart, entered the media area for a press conference. Jarvik assisted the surgical team with the positioning of the heart and the evaluation of its mechanics. When asked his feelings following seven hours of surgery, he simply replied, "Tired." "Mechanically the heart is working very well," Jarvik said. He said the heart was pumping blood through Clark's body at the rate of five to seven liters a minute, about five times the volume of his natural heart. The surgical team was using caution to avoid "overpumping." "I'm very happy the patient is doing as well as he is doing," Jarvik said. 3 ITALY Continued from page 1 country that brings creativity and joy out of everyone who is fortunate enough to be there." The program's brochure states that Genova is "the largest medieval quarter in Europe." The city is surround by beaches and is home to numerous museums and theaters. Natasha Leedom, a senior in film and media, went to Genova last year and said the experience not only made her a better filmmaker, but also helped her overcome shyness. "I'm kind of a shy person," Leedom said. "So to go there and be so close — getting one-on-one help with filmmaking — I really kind of came out of my shell. We had a lot of fun together. I wasn't so shy by the end of the trip." Leedom said she also learned a great deal about camera and filming techniques. "I learned so much about the camera that I didn't even know before. And I feel a lot more comfortable," Leedom said. "So I can even tell people, just do this." Last year, seven students attended the trip. They primarily made documentaries, but one created a narrative film. The film department supplies equipment and the projects are directed by Amanda Stoddard, a second year graduate student in film. "It was a wonderful experience," Stoddard said. "It changed my life. It was something I had never done as an undergraduate, and I was really happy to have this opportunity." Stoddard said it is not necessary to be a film student to attend the trip, and all majors are invited. "In fact, it would be really nice if we had students from all disciplines there," Stoddard said. The program's estimated cost is roughly $3,760. This includes tuition fees, lodging with shared kitchen access and international health insurance. It does not include airfare, visa and passport fees, local transportation, meals, books and other personal expenses. The course is six credit hours and can count as an international studies requirement. Ashley Glenn, a coordinator at the Center for Learning Abroad, said the center plans to award roughly $18o,000 this summer in scholarships. Students who attend these study abroad programs have the option of staying in Europe after the course has ended. "Last year we had a couple of girls," Stoddard said. "And between these two girls, they flew to Barcelona, Morocco and then to Italy. Then on the way home they went to Paris, London — and between the two of them they had friends in every city, so they just traveled a month on either side. They had a phenomenal time." s.willis@chronicle.utah.edu |