File 1993.03: Hamburger v. Nanda et al

Case Type: Medical / Short Term Memory Loss

Description:
Air bubbles released during a surgical operation of the heart, eventually flowed to the brain and caused severe short-term memory loss of a 19-year-old college student.

During heart surgery, a CVP line was inserted into the patient's right atrium. According to the patient's records, the patient was born with a Ventricular Septal Defect (a right shunt from the right atrium to the left ventricle). Air bubbles were released from the CVP line. The bubbles traveled through the Ventricular Septal Defect to the left ventricle, through the aorta, and into the arteries leading to the brain. Finally the bubbles reached a capillary level in the brain, where they caused blockages and led to severe short-term memory loss. .

Visualizations Produced:
Fearless Eye produced a 2D animation depicting the path of the air bubbles as they led from the heart to the brain.