Improvement of techniques and the training of more doctors able to perform open heart surgery will make it possible to do the' operation eventually in smaller, hospitals, a group of nurse anesthetists were told Sunday in lectures at Charity hospital.
But the procedures will always be complicated and will require a high degree of training for members of the surgical teams, said Dr John Adriani; head of Charity's department of anesthesia. He spoke at the fourth annual refresher course of the Louisiana Association of Nurse Anesthetists.
Dr. Adriani and other lecturers told the nurses of recent advances
in the use of anesthesia and mon-itoring devices used to check blood pressure, heart action, brain waves and other reactions of patients undergoing such surgery.
At present, 15-member surgical teams, including anesthetists and their assistants and technicians who watch and service the huge array of measuring devices, are needed to perform most of the serious heart operations, he said.
Dr. M. K. Ledbetter instructor in pediatrics in the Tulane medical school, spoke to the nurses on aspects of ''The Normal and Diseased Heart of the Infant and Child." Dr. James J. Johnson, assistant instructor in Charity's anesthesia department, demonstrated the heart-lung machine.
Other talks were given by Miss Vergie Brouillette, president of the nurse anesthetists, and Dr. George E. Welch, member of the board of directors of the Louisiana Heart Association, which co-sponsored the event with the nurses' group, the anesthesia department, and the Tulane and LSU medical schools. PHOTO: A CARDBOARD MOCK-UP OF A PATIENT is used in a demonstration of the" uleTf anesthesia ana monitoring devices needed in heart surgery at the fourth annual refresher course of the Louisiana Association of Nurse Anesthetists. Taking part were (from left) Dr. John Adriani, director of Charity hospital's anesthesia department; Dr. M.- K. Led-better, pediatrics instructor at the Tulane university medical school; Miss Vergie Brouil-lette, president of the nursing group; and Dr, James P. Johnson assistant to Dr. Adriani, The course, conducted at Charity, was co-sponsored by the Louisiana Heart Association and the hospital.
