Page 21 - ANZCP GAZETTE DECEMBER 2023

16:00
You’re walking the near-empty halls of your second home, making haste straight to theatre. As familiar smiles greet you, you had forgotten in your jet-setting that of course your team have been here this whole time with the recipient, well onto bypass for the dissection of the double-redo VAD-explant. Everyone is excited to see you, but apparently you’re late and can they please have the donor heart. You stay long enough to see the heart removed from the box, entrust the cleaning to your fellow perfusionist who kindly sends you home to sleep (and finish that half glass of wine from last night). The implant can finally begin.
19:00
Another phone call. Can you believe it, another potential XVIVO retrieval tomorrow – are you up for doing it all again? You don’t think on it too long before you give a simple answer: hell yes.
DECEMBER 2023 | www.anzcp.org 18