Nusrat Binta Nizam/Dr Ashley Beecy - Week 03

 6/15/24 - 6/21/24 Week 3:

On Tuesday, during our immersion weekly meeting, I attended a  talk that focused on how to choose a mentor and the qualities of a good mentee. The speaker delved into the significance of finding a mentor whose experience and values align with one's personal and professional goals. They highlighted key attributes to look for in a mentor, such as empathy, experience, and the ability to provide constructive feedback. Additionally, the speaker discussed the qualities that make a good mentee, including being open to learning, proactive in seeking guidance, and respectful of the mentor's time and advice. 

Cardiac Catheterization [ref]

This week I had a few cath lab and MRI reading sessions from Tuesday to Friday. During my recent cath lab experiences, I had the opportunity to observe several intricate procedures. One particularly fascinating procedure was a Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). In this case, the patient had two blockages in the coronary arteries. The procedure began with the insertion of a catheter through the femoral artery, guided up to the site of the blockages. Using angiography, the cardiologists identified the exact locations of the obstructions. They then threaded a wire through the catheter to pass through the blockages, followed by a balloon catheter which was inflated to widen the narrowed arteries. After successfully dilating the arteries, two stents were placed to keep the vessels open, ensuring improved blood flow to the heart muscle. I also observed the placement of a CardioMEMS device, designed to monitor heart failure patients' pulmonary artery pressure. This minimally invasive procedure involved inserting a small, wireless sensor into the pulmonary artery via a catheter. The sensor would provide continuous pressure readings, allowing for proactive management of heart failure. Additionally, I watched a stenosis finding procedure, where the team used advanced imaging techniques to detect narrowed or obstructed blood vessels. This involved injecting contrast dye into the arteries and taking a series of X-ray images to pinpoint areas of stenosis. The detailed visualization helped the medical team to determine the severity and exact location of the narrowing, guiding subsequent treatment decisions. These experiences provided me with invaluable insights into the complex and lifesaving work performed in the cath lab, deepening my understanding of interventional cardiology.

MR Image of Cardiac Amyloidosis (Static) [ref]

On Thursday, I participated in a MRI study session with Dr. Jiwon Kim and several cardiac fellows. During the session, we reviewed MRI scans and one of the cases was of a patient with cardiac amyloidosis, a condition where amyloid proteins deposit in the heart tissue, causing thickening and stiffness of the heart walls, which can lead to heart failure. We examined several MRI studies, focusing on identifying abnormalities and understanding different MRI measurements. Cardiac amyloidosis diagnosis through MRI involves key techniques such as T1 mapping, which measures amyloid deposits, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), which identifies areas of fibrosis. I am working with a dataset of cardiac amyloidosis and this session helped me a lot to get a better understanding of the disease. The session provided invaluable insights into the pathophysiology of cardiac amyloidosis and the advanced MRI techniques used to evaluate it, enhancing our understanding of the condition and its impact on cardiac function. On Friday afternoon, I will have another MRI reading session. The rest of the time, I was involved in exploring the dataset provided by Dr Beecy.