Newspapers / InterCom (Durham, N.C.) / Sept. 23, 1977, edition 1 / Page 3
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3 Has Surgery for Heart Defect French Patient Overwhelmed by Welcome By Ina Fried It's bad enough to be sick. But imagine how you would feel facing major surgery in a country whose language you did not speak. Individuals from the U.S. Senate to the Surgical Private Diagnostic Clinic (SPDC) have tried to make that experience a more comfortable one for Monique Durand, a psychologist from a suburb of Lyons, France, who returned home last week after recovering from surgery here. "1 was overwhelmed with the welcome here," Durand said. "I never felt lonely because everyone was so helpful. I was touched by the concern of not only the main doctors but also of others on the staff." Electrical Malfimction Durand's problem was a relatively rare congenital heart defect called Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW). WPW is a malfunction of the electrical system of the heart. The first surgical technique for correcting the syndrome was developed at Duke by Dr. Will C. Sealy, professor of thoracic surgery. The first WPW operation ever performed was done here in 1969. An operation in Lyons was not successful in correcting Durand's problem. Through her surgeon's contact with Sealy, arrangements began for Durand to come here. Numerous Contacts "People in her community began writing to anybody they knew in the United States," said Annie Lee Terry, SPDC services coordinator. Beginning in June, Duke received letters from the French Consulate, a U.S. Senator, the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and even from an acquaintance in Tucson, Ariz. Anne-Marie Bryan, assistant professor of romance languages, spoke with Durand by telephone. A fund drive in her hometown helped pay for the trip and surgery. Very Little English Durand and her French nurse, Martine Mougin, arrived in Durham on Sunday, Aug. 21, and Durand was admitted to the hospital the following Wednesday. "They speak very little English," Terry said. "I was worried and called the motel to see how they were doing. Fortunately the desk clerk spoke French. He got them on the motel bus to come to the hospital." Terry and Francoise Mathews, a native of France who is an accounting clerk in the SPDC business office, met them and helped Durand register. Mathews and Elizabeth Grant, surgical librarian, helped interpret for the French women. Grant remained with the patient during the four-hour cardiac catheterization Dr. John Gallagher performed before the surgery. The patient remains awake during the procedure, and must be able to follow directions to move or remain still at the right time. In the WPW treatment, part of the work of Gallagher, director of the Clinical Electrophysiology Lab, is to electrically "map" the heart and pinpoint for the surgeon the section of the heart muscle that is causing the short-circuit. Crossing Language Barrier "The concern and gentleness of the staff crossed the language barrier," Grant said. "Dr. Sealy, who performed the operation. Dr. Gallagher and the anesthesiologists took extra time and extra care to make sure Mile. Durand knew what was being done and why." Grant and a nurse in the Recovery Room made flash cards with English and French phrases for the French women to use in the Recovery Room. An exception to general policy was made to allow Mougin, a cardiac care, nurse in France, to remain in tl^ Recovery Room. While Durand was in the hospital, her nurse stayed at the home of Nellie O'Briant, amounting clerk in the SPDC business office. "Nell was so wonderful to her," Mathews said. "She took her out to eat and showed her around. She sometimes called me and asked me to explain something to Martine in French." ComrnitteeTo Develop Support For Urologic Surgery Division NEVER FELT LONELY—Monique Durand (third from left) found everyone helpful when she came here from France for surgery. Visiting in her room before her return home are (left to right) Martine Mougin, a French nurse; Dr. Will C. Sealy, who performed the surgery; Durand; and interpreters Francoise Mathews and Elizabeth Grant. (Photo by Ina Fried) Urologists Pick Pinehurst For Annual Talks Patients and friends of the Division of Urologic Surgery discussed ways to develop support for the continuing growth of research and teaching in the division at the Sept. 9 meeting of CURED in the Medical Center Board Room. CURED, the Committee for Urologic Research, Endowment and Development, was formed in 1974. B.B. Lane, president of Lane Furniture Co., Altavista, Va., is chairman. Members of , the committee received certificates from Dr. William G. Anlyan, vice president for health affairs. Speaking about the progress and future of urology were Drs. James F. Glenn, professor and division director; John Dees, professor; John Weinerth, assistant professor of urology and associate dean for postgraduate medical education; and David F. Paulson, associate professor. Richard B. Hayes, director of medical center development, and John S. Thomas, director of estate planning, discussed fund raising plans for the medical center and tax advantages to contributors. CURED Design a Winner Loblolly, Duke's summer performing arts program, is seeking a design for use on publicity materials. The winning artist will receive $50 plus his or her signature on every piece of publicity material which uses the design. The deadline for entries is Oct. 21. Loblolly is planning classes, workshops and performances in dance, theater, music and opera for June 12-July 14,1978. For more information visit Loblolly, 102 Art Building on East Campus, or call 684-6929 6t)m 9 a.m. - noon. The mailing address is 6086 College Station, Durham 27708. members will be working with Linda Darsie, the new staff assistant in urology, in fund raising activities. CURED board members present included Dr. E.P. Alyea, Durham; Williams E. A rant Jr., Winston-Salem; Russell N. Barringer Sr., Durham; Dot Corbett, Greenville; Lewis M. Fetterman, Clinton; O.T. Sloan, Sanford; G. Curtis Smithdeal, High Point; Russell Strickland, Pinehurst; Mary Sunderlin, Hendersonville; Dr. Edwin M. Tomlin, Concord; Lee Vanstory, Greensboro; Teresa Wohl, Annapolis, Md.; Stephen W. Woody, Asheville; and John Balderacchi, Greensboro. PINEHURST, N.C. - "A surgeon may know how to remove an appendix, but if he can't stand the sight of blood, he's not going to be very successful with the operation," said Dr. John Reckless, medical director of The John Reckless Clinic, a sexual counseling center in Durham. "In the same way, if therapists who are trying to help couples resolve sexual difficulties feel embarrassed to talk about such matters or who have sexual problems of their own, they are not likely to be of much help to the couple." Reckless was describing in an interview a talk he is scheduled to present tomorrow at the 1977 Invitational Assembly for Advanced Urology being held at the Pinehurst Hotel this weekend. The annual scientific meeting, sponsored by the division of urology, is designed "to provide practicing urologic surgeons an opportunity to exchange information and to gain insight into new developments in their specialty," according to assembly director Dr. -John L. Weinerth,! assistant professor of urology here. Reckless will explain to the surgeons why sexual counseling sometimes fails. The fault, he says, lies in the personalities of individual therapists and the patients themselves, not with the counseling methods that have proven effective with many thousands of couples in this country. "The therapy stresses the reshaping of unhealthy attitudes about sex that may be putting stresses on male-female relationships," he said. "The emphasis is on better communication." The psychiatrist said sexual therapy, which has "blossomed in the past seven years" and has gained almost univer^ acceptance among physicians, should not be confused with the physiological research pioneered by Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson over the past 20 years. The Masters and Jolmson research, strongly criticized by those who didn't understand it, involved having volunteer couples engage in sexual intercQuise under Jaboratcuy conditions so that physical changes in the body could be recorded and studied befbre, during and after sex. Sexual therapy, the psychiatrist explained, centers instead on discussions between the counselor and a couple or between a counselor and an individual client in an attempt to resolve the more than 90 per cent of sexual problen\s having a psychological origin. In addition to Reckless, guest faculty at the assembly will include Dr. Lawrence Dubin of New York University Hospital, Dr. J. Hartwell Harrison of Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston and Dr. Patrick C. Walsh of The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. Twelve Duke faculty, headed by Dr. James F. Glenn, chief of urology, also will make presentations on topics ranging from the surgical aspects of getutal abnormalities and gender identity to endocrinology, infertility and prostate cancer. More than 150 surgeons from across the United States are expected to attend the meeting. Urologists faom as far away as Bia^ and South AWa have
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