HISTORIC FIRST LIVE TWEET OF AN OPEN HEART SURGERY

I'm sure most, if not all, of us ordinary folks have never witnessed an open-heart surgery online (or in person)? Now we can. The Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston, Texas, USA, made internet history last month by live-tweeting an open-heart surgery. The live tweet is reproduced below. (Warning: Extremely graphic photos and videos). 

First, the report:

Behind the Scenes of the World’s First Live-Tweeted Open-Heart Surgery
By Sam Laird, Mashable, 29 March 2012.

Doctors at Houston’s Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital made medical and social media history last month by live-tweeting an open heart surgery for the first time ever.

Dr. Michael Macris performed a double-coronary artery bypass on a 57-year-old patient. Meanwhile, colleague Dr. Paresh Patel provided 140-character updates throughout the procedure, and answered questions submitted by followers of the hospital’s @houstonhospital Twitter account. Dr. Macris also wore a video camera attached to his head. Dr. Patel snapped additional photos, and posted some of the pictures and videos to Twitter. The procedure lasted two and a half hours, and the patient made it through fine…

Read full story.

The narrative of the surgery created by the hospital is recounted by the Storify website below. It is incredibly fascinating and educational, and also extremely graphic for the faint-hearted.

First Live Tweet of an Open Heart Surgery
By Memorial Herman, Storify, 22 February 2012.

On February 21, 2012, Dr. Michael P. Macris, board-certified in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, performed the first live surgical twittercast of a beating open heart surgery in the United States at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in Houston, Texas.

[Start of live tweet]

1. “Today, we provide an educational inside look into a common double bypass #surgery with live video and pics #MHopenheart

Tue, Feb 21 2012 08:38:30 - Memorial Hermann

2. “Patient: M, 57 yr old with a blockage of the coronary artery. For patient privacy we are not disclosing name, other identifers #mhopenheart

Tue, Feb 21 2012 08:39:20 - Memorial Hermann

patient consented to this broadcast of his surgery, for protection his name will not be given. #mhopenheart http://twitpic.com/8mt1p6 Tue, Feb 21 2012 08:51:45 - Memorial Hermann

3. “WARNING: The contents of this #openheart #surgery may be GRAPHIC in NATURE.

Tue, Feb 21 2012 08:43:29 - Memorial Hermann

RT @houstonhospital: setting up a cardiac angiogram, this is used to prepare to reference targets during bypasses #mhopenheart http://twitpic.com/8mt7w6 Tue, Feb 21 2012 10:07:56 - Bianca Rincon

4. “anesthesia by arterial line in wrist to check pressure, central line for fluid, TEE probe to view the heart/valves. youtube.com/watch?v=8ig8Wv...

Tue, Feb 21 2012 09:28:41 - Memorial Hermann

http://twitpic.com/8mtspv Tue, Feb 21 2012 09:51:35 - Memorial Hermann

RT @houstonhospital: Patient is now prepped with Chlorhexidine http://bit.ly/albRej chemical antiseptic from chin to toe #MHopenheart http://twitpic.com/8mtpp1 Tue, Feb 21 2012 10:08:45 - labeeisawesome

5. “Patient is supine, arms padded/tucked at side, leg bolster under legs to expose saphenous veins, roll is placed under chest. #mhopenheart

Tue, Feb 21 2012 09:47:58 - Memorial Hermann

Macris, scrubbing In... #mhopenheart http://twitpic.com/8mtu1b Tue, Feb 21 2012 09:54:29 - houstonhospital

6. “Memorial Hermann NW #surgery team pauses, aka "time out" designed to make everyone slow down and review before starting.

Tue, Feb 21 2012 10:10:44 - houstonhospital

7. “Today Dr. Macris will do a #doublebypass to restore circulation to heart using the patient’s saphenous vein along with his mammary artery.

Tue, Feb 21 2012 09:38:53 - Memorial Hermann

First Assistance begins surgery with endoscopic vein removal of the saphenous vein of the leg #mhopenheart http://twitpic.com/8mu4n6 Tue, Feb 21 2012 10:17:02 – houstonhospital

The great saphenous vein (GSV) is the large (subcutaneous) superficial vein of the leg and thigh #mhopenheart http://twitpic.com/8mu6f8 Tue, Feb 21 2012 10:20:46 – houstonhospital

Dr. Macris opened patient’s chest with knife, bovie, then saw. #mhopenheart #Hounews http://twitpic.com/8mu7r2 Tue, Feb 21 2012 10:23:40 – houstonhospital

Video: Dr. Macris Opening

memorialhermann Tue, Feb 21 2012 10:25:55

8. “To clarify: Last video shows reverse order (2 camera feeds together) 1st is dissection of mammary 2nd was opening of chest #mhopenheart

Tue, Feb 21 2012 10:37:03 - Memorial Hermann

Video: Opening the Chest

memorialhermann Tue, Feb 21 2012 10:38:48

RT @houstonhospital: With a mammary retractor, the mammary artery can be dissected completely under direct vision #mhopenheart http://twitpic.com/8mujb9 Tue, Feb 21 2012 11:51:55 - Soccerchik20

9. “Left Internal Mammary Artery (LIMA) is being dissected to be used as one of the vessels for the bypass #mhopenheart

Tue, Feb 21 2012 10:49:28 - Memorial Hermann

Dr. Macris houstonhospital Fri, Feb 17 2012 19:20:59

10. “Once saphenous vein is harvested it is further prepared for use #mhopenheart t.co/gvhWAsza

Tue, Feb 21 2012 10:52:55 - Memorial Hermann

Video: Repairing the Saphenous Vein

memorialhermann Tue, Feb 21 2012 11:03:48

11. “At :44 seconds into video, opening of pericardium #MHopenheart (multi-cam feed) t.co/FHUhHYzn

Tue, Feb 21 2012 11:21:31 - Memorial Hermann

Video: Beating Heart

memorialhermann Tue, Feb 21 2012 11:17:23

[End of live tweet]

[Source: Storify. Edited. Top image added.]