Page 46 - ANZCP Gazette APRIL 2022

AROUND THE PUMP ROOM
Kia ora from Dunedin. Also known as tepoti in Maori, Dunedin is the wildlife capital of New Zealand. It is home to some of the world’s rarest animals, the yellowed eyed penguin and the New Zealand sea lion among others. Dunedin’s Otago peninsula is home to the world’s only mainland breeding colony of albatross in the world, the Northern Royal Albatross. With many beaches and trails to explore, you always have an adventure at your doorstep. A three-hour drive inland to Central Otago will have you enjoying the weekends in the mountains. Once the most populous city in New Zealand, it boasts many architectural creations from the 1800s influenced by strong Scottish connections and Edwardian designs and is also home to the University of Otago and its vibrant student life. With many cafes at your fingertips, there is always a great coffee around every corner. We’re also home to the Highlanders Rugby team and New Zealand’s only covered stadium.
Dunedin today has a population of about 133,000 people, but covers a massive land area of 3,314km2 spanning from the city centre to local suburbs and far flung farming communities. Dunedin Hospital is located in the heart of the city and is operated by the Southern District Health Board. It provides tertiary services for the lower part of the South Island including the Southland region. That’s an area a little smaller than Tasmania.
Our department is the most southern cardiac unit in the world and is made up of three cardiac surgeons and three perfusionists. Being a small team truly adds to the family feeling of the department. Our adult cardiac centre does mostly CABG and valve surgery, but we also do a fair bit of aortic work. Conveniently across the street from the University of Otago, we host medical students, house officers, and train nurses on a daily basis. We also conduct regular lectures for the medical and nursing staff.
At present our department uses the Terumo System 1 heart lung machine, Maquet HCU 40 heater cooler, and the Medtronic Autolog cell saver. Our packs are made by Medtronic utilising centrifugal pumps and the Affinity Fusion Oxygenator. All our surgeons use cold enriched Buckberg blood cardioplegia.
We have also started using the Cytozorb on selected cases with good results.
The perfusion team in Dunedin had been a two member party for decades. Lauren Poole spent her entire forty-two year perfusion career at Dunedin Hospital. She recently hung up her clamps in June of last year to enjoy her much deserved retirement.
The other long standing team member is Neil Gardner. Neil is from Alexandra, NZ and has been stopping hearts since 1989. Originally an anaesthetic technician, he was trained in Dunedin and spent his thirty-two year perfusion career at Dunedin Hospital and has been a part of two mission trips to China. His experience and knowledge are unsurpassed. He truly loves sharing what he knows and is often asked to deliver lectures and participate in education days for Dunedin Hospital.
Our second team member is Cynthia Riddell. Cynthia is from Nice, in the South of France, but has called New Zealand home for past twenty-two years. She was also an anaesthetic technician prior to becoming a perfusionist. She completed her perfusion training in Auckland, qualifying in 2017 and then joining the Dunedin team in 2019. Cynthia brings her French flair to theatre and is an expert at keeping the department organized.
I am the newest and third member of the team. I grew up in Alabama, USA and went to perfusion school at The Texas Heart Institute in Houston, Texas graduating in 2005. I worked in Conroe, Texas for two years before finding my way to New Zealand and calling Auckland City Hospital home for the past fourteen years. In June of 2021, I decided to further my New Zealand adventure with a move to the South Island and joined the Dunedin team. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the south and look forward to getting to know the cardiac family and colleagues here.
Tn Koutou, thank you for reading about our team. I hope to see you all in person at a meeting soon.
Misty Bean CCP, FANZCP Dunedin Hospital, New Zealand
43 APRIL 2022 | www.anzcp.org