Dr. Regina Husman - Integrated Vascular Surgery Resident

Qualities and Attributes of a Great First Assistant (“FA”) in High-Stakes Vascular Surgery

**Respondent is an Integrated Vascular Surgery Resident at one of the most prestigious programs in the world.**

*All information provided is anonymous and there will be no attribution to encourage our surgeon colleagues to be honest in their needs from their teams.

'Uniform'

As a surgeon, do you have a standard 'uniform' that you wear for all cases? What are the key parts of your uniform that enable your surgical performance? Do you double-glove?

'Rituals'

In the 1980s, Pearl Katz wrote about the 'rituals of surgeons'. Do you have any rituals you engage in prior to a big marathon case?

'The Big One'

Vascular Surgery has some of the most complex multi-disciplinary cases involving open aortic surgery. What do you consider the 'Mother of all Surgeries' in vascular - what makes it so big and complex?

'The Surgical Barrier'

Most surgeons who perform high-risk, high-mortality cases believe in a barrier between surgeon and patient, which makes it seem like the surgeon is 'cold'. How do you approach this to ensure compassionate yet objective care to high-risk surgical patients?

'Faith and Surgery'

I first-assist a surgeon who always has a surgical team prayer prior to a big case with team members that would like to participate. Do you believe Faith can have a place in a high-stakes O.R.? Do you ever rely on your Faith during surgery?

'Devastation'

While respecting HIPAA, we all have a case that ended in devastation with a patient expiring on the table. Can you provide some insight on a case that was devastating to you as a surgeon and what made it so heartbreaking?

Dr. Regina Husman - Integrated Vascular Surgery Resident

Respondent is an Integrated Vascular Surgery Resident at one of the most prestigious programs in the world.

*All information provided is anonymous and there will be no attribution to encourage our surgeon colleagues to be honest in their needs from their teams.

Disclosure: The Open Aortic Surgical Foundation Fund (OASFF) is a 501(c)(4) incorporated in the State of California. As a private foundation, we abide by the rules and regulations enforced by both state and federal regulatory authorities.