The Adventures of a Middle-aged Woman who is also a Vascular Surgeon. “Handbook of Patient Care in Vascular Diseases.” Associate Professor, Yale Surgery.
Me, a vascular surgeon, on the phone on call: “Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Ok, I’ll be right there.”
My non-medical spouse in the background: “JUST GIVE SONE HEPARIN!”
Surgeons negotiating meeting times:
other Person “How about lunchtime, like noon?”
surgeon “how about 630 am”
Person “Ok how about 9am”
Surgeon “ how about 7pm”
Person …
Surgeon …
Person maybe an email?
Pro tip for trainees:
Look under every rock. Unwrap the foot, peek under bandages and other places that wounds can hide and fester. In a vascular patient, even a small wound can lead to a big problem, quickly.
Me, a vascular surgeon hiding under the bed:
Armed robber:
Me:...
Me:...
Armed robber: I can hear good Doppler pulses.
Me: THEY’RE NOT PULSES, THEY ARE SIGNALS.
Me, a surgeon, hiding under the bed:
Armed robber:
Me:
Armed robber:
Me:
Armed robber: Anesthesia says they don’t have a consent...
Me: I PUT THAT CONSENT IN THE CHART MYSELF!!!!
@ZDoggMD
3rd year medical school. Like Jon Snow, I knew nothing. Overdramatizing an experience 20 years ago jeopardizes the lives of the doctors that sacrifice everything to care for these patients. You have no idea the continuity and empathy these docs provide to do what they do. Shame
All Dopplers are garbage until the third probe and second machine and push in the cords and flip them and pull out the charger and more jelly (More Jelly!) and Everyone shhhhhhhhh please…
Whoosh-ahhhh. Whoosh-ahhhhh
And there it is. ❤️
Vascular physical exam tip. Examine the popliteal pulses! Wrap both hands around the popliteal fossa - fingertips touching to increase surface area. Pulse is slightly lateral of midline. Helpful to establish level of occlusive disease and also to identify popliteal aneurysms.
#VAM23
Residency fair.
Me as APD and Jonathan Cardella PD
@YaleVascular
Vascular Residency Program. So inspiring to meet the next generation of vascular surgeons!
@APDVS_
Oh hi. Good morning to new followers who enjoy my medical humor. And a special good morning to the surgery residents who have to laugh at my jokes every day.
@firecracker_doc
@medicalaxioms
An experienced ICU nurse taught me how to do an aline when I was an intern (20 years ago!) and there was no other doc to do it. I am still grateful for his patience.
Celebrating the graduation of stellar chief resident Tanner Kim. He is bound for academic job in Honolulu. Congrats !!! He is 3 spots to the left of me :)
Surgeon dreams: The other night I was fixing an SFA injury on a GSW victim on my parents’ backyard patio and trying to get the instruments I needed. Me “Mom. MOM!! I need the Fogarty. No, the red one! Right, Mom, the red one! That’s the number 4 Fogarty.” Omg 🤣
Sugar Ray Leonard would never show up to a boxing match with one hand. Young surgeons, be like Sugar. Always bring two great hands to the operating room.
Vascular Physical Exam tip of the day. Differentiate ischemic rubor from cellulitis by starting with the foot in a dependent position and elevating the limb above the heart. The “erythema” from ischemic rubor will rapidly go away.
Sharing our publication on representation of women vascular surgeons in clinical trials. Work presented last year at
@VascularEVS
by outstanding medical student
@YaleMed
Valia Kostiuk
@YaleVascular
Dream specialty! Dream program! Dream car! Can’t wait to spend the next 7 years of my life training as a vascular surgeon
@YaleVascular
. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way! Couldn’t be here without you!
What a privilege to mentor and teach the next generation of smart and enthusiastic
@YaleMed
students and
@YaleSurgRes
@YaleVascular
residents. I never met a female vascular in medical school or training. Fortunately, we are not as rare these days. All are welcome.
Sharing the Yale Association of Women Surgeons student group's new female surgeon profile series! This is the August profile on vascular surgeon
@Dr_Tonnessen
. It was a pleasure to interview and learn from you!
@WomenSurgeons
@YaleVascular
That time in training when I accidentally called the wrong attending and he was like “ok ...I’m not on call” and I was like “Um, I did an ER thoracotomy and the patient needs the OR now.” And he came right in.
@BrownHospMed
Phlegmasia cerulea dolens. Extensive DVT usually starting in the iliac vein and extending to entire limb with swelling that leads to arterial vascular compromise.
Thinking of a friend who kindly had me over for Thanksgiving dinner years ago. I was working - on call.
He was a nurse and a veteran.
He killed himself last month.
Please be good to each other and reach out to each other.
Nice day of teamwork and surgery in the OR with Mark (OR RN on my right), me in middle, Tanner Kim Vascular Surgery resident (on my left). And, of course, 80s alternative music.
@YaleVascular
The most - to least - desired medical specialties in the 2022 Match, ranked by ratio of applicants to positions.
(These data include only an applicant’s preferred specialty - i.e., the specialty they ranked number 1 - so multiple specialty applicants count only once.)
We (women surgeons) are more than capable of tackling the big cases and want the complex referrals. But data, not drama…Yet another article on better outcomes with female surgeons, studies find | Doctors | The Guardian
I was thinking about the “dying art” of the physical exam. I am intent to preserve this valuable skill. It’s a mission and passion. Medical students: examine the abdomen of your patients and one day you will find a AAA and save a life.
#AWSChat
Q1. You should be well-prepared and read for case. Do not expect attending to hand you the case. We like to operate too. Ask the scrub for the next instrument before I do and use it! I respect that.
Saw my parents for the first time since before the pandemic. My 81 year old Dad literally ran with the tiny humans through the sprinkler. Which pretty much captures reunion joy better than any words we could ever say.
Thanks so much
@VascularSVS
for posting this embarrassing candid picture of me having fun outside the OR 🤣😳🤣
Yes, please attend the 2024 Gala- it is indeed a ton of fun!!!
Get ready to dance the night away!💃🕺The 2024 Gala will be an unforgettable evening, celebrating YOU! Tickets are selling fast - secure your attendance today:
#SVSFGala2024
#VascularSurgery
Well today I needed a purple marking pen and the resident unzipped this little pocket on his arm sleeve and pulled one out from a little stash and this is peak efficiency awesomeness.
Dr. Kibbe
@kibbemr
visiting professor brings the thunder and discusses sex-based differences and bias in medical research.
@YaleSurgery
@YaleVascular
One of my favorite topics is the management of acute Mesenteric ischemia. Latest podcast from
@AmCollSurgeons
for Selected Readings in General Surgery
#SRGS
just dropped featuring yours truly. Great learning for residents, students APPs and all!
@YaleVascular
@YaleSurgery
A new episode of the Surgical Readings from SRGS is out now! Host Dr. Rick Greene speaks with vascular surgeon Dr. Britt Tennessean about the clinical features and vital management aspects of mesenteric and renal vascular disease.
🔊 Listen & subscribe:
On occasion, a cool nurse will allow me use their overhead intercom to call for assistance - like lifting help or whatnot. Let me tell you, my friends: The Power is Intoxicating.
@CognettiMD
@AAOS1
@AAHKS
@otatrauma
@MilOrtho
This makes zero sense. Reps are like caddies to golfers and offer additional equipment and support to use devices appropriately per the IFU. We the surgeons are the professional golfers. Patients are helped by having such support.
@OAlabiMD
Very impressed by Dr Olamide Alabi who brings the data and the passion on the importance of diversity for patient care. Vascular surgeons can lead the way!
@VascularEVS
@VascularSVS