National Cancer Institute –

The view from the fifth floor is less than inspiring – with the Bogota prison from one angle and the now decrepid Hospital San Juan de Dios from another..

But the view from within the operating room is impressive!  Large operating rooms, in an all new facility, with brand new equipment.. This is a first class surgery facility..

 – and the surgery itself was wonderful.  I can’t divulge too many specifics other than it was a huge surgical resection that was the last chance for a heart-breaking patient..

 But the case went beautifully.

After spending all morning and part of the afternoon with Dr. Buitrago and his team – I went over to Hospital Santa Clara to interview a nice young thoracic surgeon, Dr. Jaime Andres Franco.  Dr. Franco is actually dually trained as both an Critical Care Medicine specialist and a thoracic surgeon – which is ideal because it means he is even more capable of handling any sort of crisis that may affect his surgical patients. 

I’m hoping to follow him to the operating room soon, so I can give you even more details..