Fred Wu, MD 🫀 吳明杰

Man, that illustration needs a TW

Baby recovering in hospital after undergoing open heart surgery Baby recovering in hospital after undergoing open heart surgery

Baby Arabella was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot - a congenital heart defect - and underwent open heart surgery last week

This is a great gif of the cardiac cycle but I could only figure out how to post it as a video. I don't think the artist (@hippano) is here on bluesky but they're on tumblr (hippano.tumblr.com)

a man in a white shirt and suspenders is standing on a stage . ALT: a man in a white shirt and suspenders is standing on a stage .

Wait… you capitalized Meatloaf. Are we talking about the same thing here?

I just find the idea of a “loaf of meat” amusingly absurd.

Am I the only person who didn’t know that receiving prior authorization from an insurance company for a test or procedure doesn’t mean they agree to actually pay for it???

He's probably talking about the Medical Loss Ratio which says that insurers have to spend at least 80 or 85% of the premiums they collect on medical claims or else provide rebates to make up the difference. But you can bet they stay as close to the minimum spending requirement as possible.

It’s nice to see Santa pulling the reindeer for once. They deserve a break!

a woman is standing next to a man sitting in a chair . ALT: a woman is standing next to a man sitting in a chair .

“Oh, dear God… this parachute is a knapsack!”

It’s probably driving him crazy that Trump hasn’t tapped him for a government post.

Screenshot of Vinay Prasad asserting that denying coverage does not increase the profits of insurance companies.

Denying coverage doesn’t increase insurers’ profits? So they’re just doing it for funsies? Sad

Five years late on my screening colonoscopy but I finally got it done this year! Thankful I won’t have to go through that again for 10 years!

Guess how many countries on this list have universal healthcare.

Nightmare scenario

The first human-to-human heart transplant is really a story of the generosity of the Darvalls. If you've read this far, please consider registering to become an organ donor! One organ donor can save up to 8 lives! www.organdonor.gov/sign-up

"Transplant is not the end of anything. It is the beginning of something new." In 2023, more than 4,500 heart transplants were performed in the United States, an increase of more than 10% over 2022.

Organ transplantation has grown remarkably since 1967. Last year, more than 4500 heart transplants were performed in the US, but there are many patients still on the waiting list and many who have died waiting for an organ.

Photograph of Jonathan van Wyk, a 10-year-old boy who received one of Denise Darvall's kidneys.

Louis Washkansky's wasn't the only recipient of the Darvalls' generosity that day. A 10-year-old boy, Jonathan van Wyk, also received one of Denise's kidneys in the Non-European Section of Karl Bremer Hospital. This caused some controversy in apartheid-era South Africa as Jonathan was "coloured".

This is the donor heart that made the world's first heart transplant possible.

Wax model recreation of the OR on the day of Louis Washkansky's heart transplant

In spite of this, the first heart to have ever beaten inside the chests of two different humans was not interred with Washkansky's body. Instead, it lives on display at The Heart of Cape Town Museum where visitors can also see recreation of Washkansky's surgery in the actual OR where it took place.

Newspaper article reporting that "the heart which was grafted into Louis Washkansky in the world's first transplant has been taken from his body."

Washkansky survived 18 days after the transplant before ultimately dying of pneumonia. There was some controversy when it came to light that the donor heart that had once belonged to Denise Darvall was explanted after Washkansky's death. Jewish belief required that all parts of the body be buried.

LIFE magazine cover showing a smiling Louis Washkansky with Dr. Christiaan Barnard hovering over him.

Barnard quickly assembled his team of 30 in the OR. At 6:13 am, Dec. 3, Denise Darvall's heart began beating in Louis Washkansky's chest. Unlike Boyd Rush, Washkansky came off bypass and woke up from anesthesia. The operation made headlines around the world and made Barnard an instant celebrity.

LIFE magazine spread with a photograph of Louis Washkansky's wife sitting with Denise Darvall's father.

After assessing Denise Darvall and declaring her brain dead, Dr. Coert Venter phoned Barnard with news of a potential donor. With Barnard's approval, he spoke with Darvall's father. After being told about Washkansky, Mr. Darvall said, "If you can't save my daughter, you must try and save this man."

Photograph of Louis Washkansky, the first human-to-human heart transplant recipient

Consent form for Louis Washkansky's heart transplant

Louis Washkansky had developed ischemic cardiomyopathy after suffering multiple heart attacks. As his condition worsened, he was referred to Dr. Christiaan Barnard who proposed a heart transplant. Barnard quoted an 80% chance of success. On November 19, 1967, Washkansky signed the consent form.

Photograph of Denise Darvall, the donor in the first human-to-human heart transplant

Photograph of the site of the accident where Denise Darvall and her mother were killed

Washkansky's transplant was quite another story. On Dec. 2, Denise Darvall and her mother were crossing an intersection when a distracted driver struck them. Denise's mother was killed. A doctor on the scene found Denise alive, but once they got her to Groote Shuur, she was declared brain dead.

Newspaper article stating "Chimpanzee Heart Used for Human Transplant"

Although they got the chimp heart beating inside Rush's chest, they were unable to wean him from heart-lung bypass. He did not survive the surgery. The AP initially reported that it had been a human donor. When it was clarified that they had used the heart of a chimp, the news was poorly received.

The Cape Times headline, "World's First Heart Transplant," isn't quite correct since there had been a heart transplant performed at the University of Mississippi on Jan. 23, 1964. In that instance, Dr. James Hardy transplanted the heart of a chimpanzee into a man named Boyd Rush (68).

The front page of the South African newspaper, The Cape Times, from December 4, 1967, declaring "World's First Heart Transplant - Groote Schuur doctors make history"

Guys, it feels weird to post this here, but... it's the anniversary of the first human-to-human heart transplant! Technically, I'm a day late as it's already Dec. 4 in Cape Town, South Africa, where on Dec. 3, 1967, the heart of Denise Darvall (25) was placed into the chest of Louis Washkansky (56).

Crypto Tycoon Consumes Banana Art He Bought for $6.2 Million Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun on Friday fulfilled his promise of eating a $6.2 million piece of art featuring a banana taped to a wall

Breaking news: I just consumed banana art I bought for $0.49.
newscentral.africa/crypto-tycoo...

Savage

They don’t want things getting *too* convenient.

It can be a real dilemma. I’ve come across a couple of situations where neither arm accurately reflects central BP, but leg blood pressures, more often than not, are going to overestimate it. Not to mention I’ve caught staff measuring blood pressure at the ankle while the patient is sitting upright.