Learn With Me: Healthcare Pranav Balakrishnan

I have some great news- I matched into a categorical General Surgery Program! This is the first episode of many (hopefully) on the USMLE, ERAS application and Match process. Do write in with your comments and questions. Let me know what you would like to hear more about and I will try to put that information together in future episodes.

Hello and Welcome to Learn With Me. I am Pranav and today I learned a little more about favorite book “When Breath Becomes Air” and its author, the late Dr. Paul Kalanithi.

Intravenous drug use is breaking hearts. Patients return for recurrent valve replacements because of continued drug use. Is the surgeon obligated to offer multiple valves to patients? Come meet Mr. J as we discuss this.

If you would like to read some of the great articles I used for this episode, check out the references below:
1. Firstenberg MS. The Ethics in Repeat Heart Valve Replacement Surgery. Advanced Concepts in Endocarditis, 2018.
2. Bates MC, Annie F, Jha A, Kerns F. Increasing incidence of IV‐drug use associated endocarditis in southern West Virginia and potential economic impact. Clinical Cardiology; 42(4), p 432-437/
3. DiMaio J et. al. Ethical Obligation of Surgeons to Noncompliant Patients: Can a Surgeon Refuse to Operate on an Intravenous Drug-Abusing Patient With Recurrent Aortic Valve Prosthesis Infection? The Annals of Thoracic Surgery; 88(1), p 1-8.
4. Hayden M, Phil M. Repeat Valve Surgery in Recurrent Injection Drug Use Associated Infective Endocarditis: A Qualitative Study of Provider Attitudes and Approaches and a Normative Analysis of Relevant Bioethical Concepts.
5. McDonald JR. Acute Infective Endocarditis. Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2009 September ; 23(3): 643–664. doi:10.1016/j.idc.2009.04.013.
6. Guerin R, et. al. Considerations in Multiple Valve Replacement for Infective Endocarditis Secondary to IV Drug Use.Innovations in Clinical Ethics: A working Un-conference. https://clevelandclinic.org/unconference
7. Miljeteig I, et.al. Should patients who use illicit drugs be offered a second heart-valve replacement? Medical Ethics. Tidsskr Nor Legeforen nr. 9, 2013; 133: 977–80

Ever wondered how cataract surgeries got to where they are today? Come Learn With me

Here are some reference articles I used to study the evolution of cataract surgeries. If you’re interested and would like to see the images as well, click away!

-Blomstedt P. Cataract surgery in ancient Egypt. J CATARACT REFRACT SURG. 2014;40:5
-B Mukhopadhyay, K R Sharma. Cataract surgery in Susruta Samhita. Ancient Sci of Life. Apr 1992;169-173.
-Chan C-C. Couching for Cataract in China.
-https://www.aao.org/exhibition-detail/cataract-surgery-couching-to-phaco
-Roy PN, Mehra KS, Deshpande PJ. Cataract surgery performed before 800 B.C. British Journal of Ophthalmology. 1975 Mar 1;59(3):171–171.
-The Evolution of Cataract Surgery, Geetha Davis
-The effect of cataracts and cataract surgery on Claude Monet - Gruener
-Couching technique for cataract treatment in Osogbo, South West Nigeria - Isawumi et. al.
- Cataract Surgery from 1918 to the Present and Future — Just Imagine! - Randall J Olson

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