Page 30 - ANZCP Gazette NOVEMBER 2022

WERE YOU THERE?
THE GREAT DEBATE:
'TRAINING WAS HARDER IN MY DAY’
ASCVP 13th Annual Scientific Meeting, Manly Pacific ParkRoyal Hotel, Sydney, October 20–21, 1996
Kieron C Potger CCP, FANZCP
In 1996, the Australasian Society of Cardiovascular Perfusionists’ Annual Scientific Meeting was held at the ParkRoyal hotel in Manly, Sydney.
After the formal dinner, the audience was entertained by the ‘Great Debate’. This was a tradition that used to take place at our meetings. The challenge for the debaters was, as in all good debates, having to arguing convincingly for an issue that they may not agree with.
Monique Brouwer is seen here arguing; that is, her side of the debate. Seated behind her (L–R) is Terry Letchford (moderator), Andrew Lahanas and Joanne Southwell. Along with Monique, Andrew and Joanne were representing the idealism of youth. Continuing to the right is Syd Yarrow, Maurice Robertson and Bob Stacey presenting the perspectives of the three wise men.
Terry was originally a paediatric perfusionists at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children, Sydney. He later became a product specialist with Cellplex. Notorious for his dry humour and always very entertaining, he was highly sought for the role of moderator for these debates.
Andrew is now the Chief Perfusionist at Prince of Wales in NSW, while Joanne runs the show at North Shore Private, NSW. Monique still actively perfuses at Westmead Hospital in Western Sydney.
Morris Robertson was already a senior perfusionist at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney back in 1962! His last stint as a perfusionist was in the 90’s at Royal North Shore. Syd Yarrow – a foundation member of the Board – was the perfusionist involved with the first CPB performed in New Zealand at Green Lane Hospital by Sir Brian Barrett-Boyes in 1958. Syd is immortalised in the eponymous award named to recognise his outstanding contribution to the perfusion profession over his long career. Bob Stacey started his perfusion career in 1968 at Prince Henry Hospital, Sydney. He retired from the Prince of Wales Hospital (that housed the relocated Prince Henry cardiac unit) in 2010.
Theirs was the era of the Kaye-Cross rotating disc and later Lande-Edwards oxygenators, and the locally manufactured Ebsray heart-lung machine. Stainless steel, Perspex, Tygon and Teflon were the materials used in those days, disposable components were not available requiring all equipment to be designed for continual reuse. Cardiac surgery was heroic with positive outcomes far from guaranteed.
The three sages represented the first generation of Australian and New Zealand perfusionists – and I was privileged to know them.
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