A CURE FOR A BROKEN HEART

This is cardiologist, Dr. John R.Mehall sitting at the controls of a device manufactured by Intuitive Surgical Inc. called the DaVinci Surgical System. Dr. Mehall operates out of Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs and has been using this rare, non-invasive unit for a few months now. The 1.6 million dollar device includes a “robot-like” system that features a binocular scope that provides a 3D, real-time look into the patient’s anatomy. Urologists have used it for prostate procedures, but now it is being used for complex heart procedures such as bypasses and valve replacements. After John demonstrated the system by stitching a sample of pseudo-skin, the reporter and I were given a chance to try out the system. Before entering the OR we had to don snazzy blue scrubs, shoe booties and even a cap. It was all a very fascinating process to learn about, watch and experience. There are less than 20 of these systems currently in use in the US. The OR provided decent light at first, however it is very flat and cold, just like a hospital, however for this shot I decided to turn off the main overheads while the reporter, Brian, was engaged in casual conversation with Dr. Mehall. There were two large, bright, spots that were attached to a ceiling-mounted track that I moved to my liking. One I positioned right on the wall behind the doctor’s head and the other over the system’s arms. The color of those lights were significantly warmer which was nice. One light highlights the robot-like arms of the system and the other gives a sort of angelic light to the doctor. I guess some of his satisfied patients would likely refer to him as a hero…or possibly angel.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 15th, 2007 at 1:42 AM. It is filed under Editorial, General Portraiture and tagged with cardiologist, Colorado, Colorado Springs, Da Vinci Surgical System, doctors, Gazette, hospital, internships, Intuitive Surgical Inc., John Mehall, Newspapers, Penrose Hospital, Portraits. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.