Marco Antonio A.

Baltazar, RN

Batch 63

Trainee Number 3

REFLECTIVE PAPER
Departmental Update
Endovascular Aneurysm Repair: An MD and RN
Perspective

Learning is beautiful. It is something we all should value and

relish. Not only does it enhance our thinking, but also and more
importantly, it helps us to be molded to become better individuals. I, for
one, believe that we should never stop learning, because learning just
never ends. Its a continuous process, and theres always more to learn no
matter how educated a person is.
Our first day of training was basically meant for orientation. In the
afternoon, we were supposedly scheduled to have a tour after our lunch
break around Makati Medical Center to have ourselves be familiarized with
what we all hope to be our future workplace. But things changed the very
last minute, and we were invited to attend our very first symposium
conducted by the well-respected members of the Intensive Care Unit in the
spirit of Nurses Week. The symposium was about Aortic Aneurysm and
Endovascular Aneurysm Repair. Yes, aneurysm was a topic we all already
had heard during our college years, but what excited me was the fact that I
had the chance to get to know more about it in a way deeper and more
intellectual sense. The event included prominent healthcare professionals
as speakers, which elevated my excitement even more. Dr. Timothy C. Dy,
MD was the opening speaker. He tackled Endovascular Aneurysm Repair
(EVAR), something I didnt learn in college. I was pleased to know that this
alternative for the usual open surgical repair generally is minimally
invasive. This was really good to hear since most patients with aortic
aneurysm is more common with geriatric clients, and most of the patients
from this age group usually cant perform surgery. EVAR is also preferred,
because of the more rapid recovery, shorter hospital stay, broader
application, good long-term result and lastly, the lesser complications it
has. Its also satisfying to know that the Philippines is raising the bar in
healthcare facilities including Philippine Heart Centers Hybrid Operating
Suite. I hope that this rise continues and that all hospitals, most especially

Makati Medical Center, lives up to the highest quality of care for patients in
our country. Valued nurses from the Intensive Care Unit also gave us a talk
on the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative phases during an
EVAR. The talk was very informative especially for us nurses, since all the
nursing considerations throughout the entire surgery were discussed. It
gave us a view on what we should keep in mind in case we are to be part
of this operation in the future. I honestly learned a lot from these highly
competent healthcare practitioners, and I just got even more inspired to
learn and do better in my craft. They are people I look up to, and hopefully,
someday, I could be like them. I was very honored to be a part of this event
considering that this was just my first day. We were very fortunate to have
witnessed the whole entire program and just to have the overall learning
experience. I do hope we get to experience more of these rewarding
experiences in the near future, because I do believe that these little things
will most likely elevate us to become highly competent and well rounded
nurses. And this way, we can provide the highest quality care for our
dearest patients.