Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-31
HEART
HEART
Patient Listens
As Doctor Operates
Continued From First Page

Continued From First Page
formed the indignity Of shaw
ing my chest.
without waiting for an an
swer, he continued TO speak:
"As ] told you last night.
we can use either q general or
a local anesthetic. A local an
esthetic is a better risk. There
may be pain. II there is, we
can put you to Sleep"
I chose the local anesthetic.
] would remain conscious dur
ing the operation.
The night before, as I lay
quietly in bed in my seventh
floor room at Parkchester Gen.
eral Hospital, in New York,
the surgeon. DR.. Aaron N.
Gorelik. came to see me. He
was a slightly built man with
intense blue eyes, quiet man.
ner and gentle voice.
CANDLES for Life
Ten days before. I had suf-
fered a coronary attack ana
had faced q hard decision -
either TO live as q semi-invalid
or gamble with survival In al
delicate heart operation to re-
gain normal health. Wanting
desperately to be well. had
chosen the gamhle--win all or
lose all.
The surgeon. sitting in q
chair beside my bed on the eve
of the operation. took the time
to explain the procedure in
detail, also the heart condition
that made the operation neces-
eary.
Examinations by heart spe-
cialists, he said, had shown a
serious deficiency in the blood
supply reaching the heart. The
heart was enlarged as q result
Of strain.
You have a very tired
heart" he said. ut must be
given help quickly"
The surgeon proposed to cor
rect the blood supply deficiency
In three ways. The operation.
he said. would involve these
major steps:
Cutting the great, internal
mammary artery over the
heart.
2. Removing a section Of the
NTH rib cartilage.
3. Opening the heart cover
ing itself to permit an injec-
ton Of pure magnesium silicate.
Surgery DETECTIVES
Severing the artery would in
crease the pressure within the
arteries below, which feed di-
rectly into, the heart muscle. |
This would cause the blood yes
sels to expand. increasing the |
blood flow.
Removing the rib cartilage
would permit the heart muscle
TO be Joined to the great muscle
Of the chest. The latter muscle
Is rich in blood supply, and
would feed extra blood to the |
heart.
The magnesium silicate, in
jected in minute grains, would
increase the blood flow In still
another way. Placed between
the heart covering and the
heart muscle, the metallic
grains would set in motion a
gentle and everlasting abrasive
action.
Tiny ruptures would be
caused in the heart muscle and
covering. Thus new blood YES
sells would be created, again in
creasing the blood flow to the
heart.
Performing the operation |
would be a formidable medical
team headed by DR.. Gorelik, |
noted as a specialist in heart |
surgery.
The seven other team mem
bers would be the assisting |
surgeon, a standby" surgeon
there to take over in any emer-
gency involving either the chief
surgeon or the assisting sur
Reon-an aneSthetist, scrub |
nurse, instrument nurse, circu-
lating nurse and special nurse.
"Try to Relax"
Now, final preparations for
the operation were being made.
The special nurse standing |
back of me at the head of the
table whispered:
I Just try to relax"
!, She sponged perspiration
from my forehead. A needle |
was placed in the vein of my
right arm for blood plasma. If
needed. Small tables were
placed in position on either
side of the operating table to
support my arms. Except fol
my chest, I was draped in fresh.
cool sheets.
The surgeon moved forward.
This is going to feel cold"
he said. He scrubbed the chest
area with a large cotton swab
dipped in brightly colored anti
septic. The solution felt icy
cold. I watched, and / saw
that my chest was a garish
orange.
Someone reached up and
adjusted the bright overhead
lamp. The assisting surgeon
at my right draped scribe band
ages over my chest except for