AUSTIN, Texas — The public got a rare behind-the-scenes look at a "live" heart transplant at Ascension Seton Medical Center on Saturday.
It wasn't a real surgery, only a demonstration. But the surgeons were real.
The event was geared toward young adults to spark interest in the medical field.
Dr. Jonathan Yang is a cardiothoracic surgeon. He said the event was a good way for Ascension Seton doctors to engage with the community and especially the young adults who are thinking about going into the medical field.
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"We've had questions about whether the fat around the heart is normal. They also asked about bypass surgery and the vein, where we get vein from ... Questions about, basically, 'How does the body stay alive during the period when the heart is taken out and the new heart is put in?'" Dr. Yang said
Ascension Seton recently opened six new operating rooms, and mock surgeries were held in all of them during the event.
"[The rooms are] wired for all the new technology that's out there. Robot use requires a certain type of infrastructure. All the minimally invasive techniques require certain types of hardware, all of which are essentially built into these rooms," Dr. Yang said.
Blood pressure, BMI and glucose screenings for adults were also offered at the event.
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