Cardiac surgery--challenges and surprises in a country at war.
The challenges and results of cardio-vascular surgery at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) during the civil strife in Lebanon are presented. Dependence on local resources is emphasized. Temporary interruption of open-heart surgery in a university setting may be the product of absence of essential materials and/or personnel. Ingenuity and team approach have contributed to the success and survival of the open-heart program. The operative results and mortality rate were indirectly related to the intensity of fighting in the vicinity of a Medical Center that served as a field hospital.
Slim
M S
MS
New York Medical College, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Valhala 10595.
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon; D014857:Warfare