Week 1 – Garrett Beeghly

Clinical Immersion Week One

Garrett Beeghly

Over my clinical immersion term in New York City, I am working with Dr. Jason Spector in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. I dived right into my two-month excursion in the medical world by observing five major surgeries this week. These included a tissue flap transfer following pneumonectomy, fasciotomy closure, hernia repair, abdominoplasty, and breast reduction. Most notably, the fasciotomy closure underscored the potential role of engineers in modern medicine. Fasciotomy is a limb-saving procedure where the fascia is cut to treat acute compartment syndrome. This cut relieves dangerous levels of intramuscular pressure following trauma that collapse the vasculature and lead to necrosis if untreated. DermaClose is a device, developed by engineers, to help close the deep incisions made during fasciotomies. The device is a self-tightening mechanical system that pulls the edges of the incision together over several days. Surgeons are then able to more readily suture the wound and avoid excessive scarring. Below, you can see pictures of a fasciotomy before, during, and after application of the DermaClose device.

Before, during, and after application of the DermaClose device for fasciotomy closure.

In addition to observing surgeries, I saw several inpatient procedures during my time in clinic with Dr. Spector including a scar revision, cyst excision, and skin lesion removal. Clinic also provided me with opportunities to interact directly with patients at Weill Cornell Medicine and see how initial consultations and follow-up visits are conducted. Moreover, I participated in early morning rounds with plastic surgery residents where we monitored the recovery of patients post-op. Finally, I began my clinical research project in the Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine and Surgery. The aim of this project is to decellularize adipose tissue obtained from Dr. Spector to isolate matrix proteins and biochemical factors of interest. These components will be compared across women of various demographics and used to create tissue-engineered models of the breast cancer tumor microenvironment for intro vitro studies.

In my free time, I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art during the Museum Mile Festival, attended a New York Philharmonic concert in Central Park, and walked to Chelsea Market to get tacos and horchata. I look forward to shadowing more surgeries and spending more time in the city in the coming weeks!