Dr. Michelle Mertens with Bowie on his third day after open-heart surgery.
Bowie was just a puppy when he had his mitral valve repair. His youth and overall good health helped ensure his favorable outcome.
Dr. Mertens is a veterinary surgeon from Nova Scotia, Canada. Dr. Mertens is an integral member of the open heart surgical team. She attended Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada. Following an internship at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph she completed a three year residency in surgery in Guelph.
Texas A&M is fortunate to have Dr. Mertens here on a Cardiovascular Surgery Fellowship.
Bowie's neck bandage is protecting his IV catheters and the
surgical site to access his carotid artery. The bandage on the chest is
from the incision into the chest to repair the heart valve. The tube
exiting near Dr. Mertens' hand is Bowies chest tube (allows the team to
maintain proper negative pressure in the chest as well as check for
drainage).
