Case Log 02/03/2024

Case Log

Mission Profile:

Organ Type: Heart

Wheels Up: 0800EST

Scheduled OR time: 1000EST

Donor Location: South Carolina

Recipient Location: North Carolina

Aircraft Type: Citation 560 Encore

Flight #1:

We went wheels up at 0804 for this case for a flight to South Carolina, a couple minutes late but thats alright. There was a little bit of low cloud cover down low which was a little bumpy for us but as soon as we popped up through it was beautiful! I grabbed a video as quickly as I could, but I wished I had started recording before we came up through. Next time I’ll try and start the video a little earlier. Smooth flight the rest of the way to SC, and a nice landing to boot!

Donor Side:

We arrived to the hospital after about a 15 minute ride in an SUV – a much smoother method of transportation rather than bouncing around in the back of an ambulance! We double scrubbed (placed a set of scrubs over the ones we wore on the way) as to be able to strip the second layer and get on our way to the recipient faster. After we get the heart out, it feels like robbing a bank to get out of there and on our way as soon as possible.

As soon as we arrived to the OR, we were asked if our team would also be able to recover the lungs for another transplant center in North Carolina. This would mean we were there to procure the heart AND the lungs now, as well as place them on their respective preservation devices. Of course we were happy to oblige, we just had to work out a few logistical kinks. Luckily we were able to work out with the two recipient centers a plan to drop off the heart, then the lungs.

Recipient Side:

The heart needs to be transplanted in a shorter amount of time to ensure that the heart will function optimally when it is implanted. We would stop at the heart transplant hospital, I would accompany the heart to the recipient OR, make sure the heart came out of the device okay, then head back to the airport to get back in the air as soon as possible to head for the lung transplant center!

Back in the air we went, heading on a quick 22 minute flight over to the lung transplant center. Again I would step off the plane and immediately into a waiting SUV to deliver the lungs to the lung transplant center to ensure the lungs were ready for their recipient. The lung center was so glad we were able to pull all of this off and do it so effortlessly. Here’s to great logistical coordination and collaboration between centers!

Flight #4:

Usually there are 3 flights to one of our cases: The flight to the donor location, the flight to the recipient hospital, and the flight home. Since we flew from the donor to 2 recipient centers, we actually ended up with 4 flights this day. The flight home is always one where we’re left feeling with a sense of accomplishment for the day. It usually involves some napping with our feet up. Every day is a great day in transplant!