Week 4 Blog: MedTech

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I was interested to learn that plastic surgery is an ancient eastern practice originating from 4000 years ago (Vesna, Lecture 3). Plastic surgery is the most obvious link of medicine to art in my opinion, as both focus on aesthetics. However, I was more intrigued to learn about other medical processes connected to art that I would have never before considered correlated. 


This past week, I was at the doctor’s office and received an echocardiogram. An Echocardiogram “ uses sound waves to show how blood flows through the heart and heart valves”(Mayo Clinic). As Dr. Vesna discussed in Lecture 2, doctors have been opting toward non-invasive imaging such as MRI & X Rays & CAT scans to diagnose conditions without invasive procedures (Vesna, Lecture 2). As the machine sounded out the rhythmic pumping of blood throughout my body, it struck me as a form of art, and I was reminded of this week's course material. 


(PAH TV).


(Corrielus Cardiology)


In Casini’s experience of receiving an MRI, she recounts experiencing  “aural hallucinations” as her breath synchronized with the MRI sounds (88). In my experience, while there was no mirror associated with my echocardiogram, there was an image produced as well as sound. An example of the echocardiogram image is posted above. The sound of my heart beating acted as a self-portrait in real time. As the sonographer moved the device around to different areas of my chest, I could hear the differing sounds of the chambers of my heart. Interestingly, some resonated as humanly and comforting, while other locations sounded eerie and foreign. As Casini reflects, I became aware of my humanness in a way that is in no other way achievable than through the use of this ultrasound machine. 


I was interested to learn about the Hippocratic Oath, as I thought I had never heard of it previously. However, once I searched google images, I realized I recognized the symbol that represents the oath, included below. In fact, I realized my cousin has it tattooed on him, as he's a nurse. 

Hippocratic Oath (An Oath of Ethics ...(Milind)


After reading the article, I agree with the medical professionals who call for an updated version of the document. During the lectures, Dr. Vesna discusses how advancements in medicine have quickly and monumentally progressed. Accordingly,  the oath should follow. This part of the oath seemed relevant to this week’s content, “I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug” (Tyson, 1). As medical technology advances, there may be an ability to connect it to art, such as the MRI account, but there is also a counter trend of medicine becoming less personalized and more automated, detached, and depersonalized, as people are reduced to a collection of values and statistics. I think the inclusion of art as a medicine is way to bring humanness back into the sciences. 



 

Works Cited

Casini, Silvia. “Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as Mirror and Portrait: MRI Configurations between Science and the Arts.” Configurations, 2011, pp. 73-99.

Corrielus Cardiology. “Heart Testing.” Corrielus Cardiology, 2024, https://corrieluscardiology.com/echocardiogram/. Accessed 26 April 2024.

Mayo Clinic. “Echocardiogram.” Mayo Clinic, 31 January 2023, https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/echocardiogram/about/pac-20393856. Accessed 26 April 2024.

PAH TV. “Echocardiogram (ECHO).” PAH TV, 9 November 2017, https://pah.tv/ResourceCenter/TestingDiagnostics/Echocardiogram.aspx. Accessed 26 April 2024.

T, Milind. “Hippocratic Oath (An Oath of Ethics taken by all Physicians).” LinkedIn, 17 February 2023, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/hippocratic-oath-ethics-taken-all-physicians-milind-thombre. Accessed 26 April 2024.

Tyson, Peter. “The Hippocratic Oath Today.” PBS- Nova, PBS, 2001, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/hippocratic-oath-today/.

Vesna, Victoria. Unit 4, Lecture 2. 2024.

Vesna, Victoria. Unit 4, Lecture 3. 2024.


 

Comments

  1. Salem WahabApril 28, 2024 at 10:12 PM

    Madison,

    I also find it pretty cool that plastic surgery dates back 4000 years, as Dr. Vesna pointed out. And the way you linked it to art totally makes sense—both being about aesthetics Also, I found your take on echocardiograms being like an artistic portrayal of how our bodies work pretty cool. Very interesting read.

    ReplyDelete

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