Penn Medicine Heart and Vascular Center

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Penn Medicine Heart and Vascular Center

https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/find-a-program-or-service/heart-and-vascular

Videos
Hypertension, Lipids, and Approaches to CV Pharmacologic Risk Reduction 2023
The Mark E. Josephson Thirtieth Annual State-of-the-Art Arrhythmia Symposium 2023
Combined Group Session Advanced EP Associated Professionals General Cardiology Keystone Lectures
Penn Medicine: Case-Based Update on Valvular Heart Disease
Events

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The Learned Art of Performance in Heart Surgery

By Penn Medicine Heart and Vascular Center

494 views

May 20, 2019

According to Michael A. Acker, MD, his two passions – heart surgery and classical guitar ...
read more ↘ – have more in common than you might think, in that they both require a special mix of creativity and expertise.

“Performance is a learned skill, and medicine is a learned profession. You’re basing your knowledge and what you bring to each patient on what you’ve learned, and what’s come before you. But it’s also about performance,” Dr. Acker explained. “A great classical guitarist practices for years to hone their craft. Their performance is the ultimate expression of focus, artistry and experience.” He continued, “Nothing is more exciting and challenging than the immediate positive impact surgery can have on a patient’s quality of life. In surgery, like in music and in life, practice makes perfect.”

Dr. Acker is Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery at Penn Medicine, and Director of the Penn Medicine Heart and Vascular Center.
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