Knee surgery livestreamed 'direct from the OR' for Calgary high school students
While many Calgary high school students are used to video learning, a livestream lesson took it to a whole new level by showing a total knee replacement surgery live from start to finish.
Dozens of students from Grade 8 and higher observed the procedure from an auditorium at Telus Spark on Tuesday morning,
Joan Bruch volunteered to go under the knife, on camera, for the educational benefit of the students.
"I think it would be a great learning experience. I didn't have that experience when I was in high school, so I think it would be an amazing learning tool," said Bruch, who is in her 70s, speaking with CTV News the night before her surgery.
The operating room at Rockyview Hospital is equipped with cameras to capture the procedure from multiple angles for a select, invite-only audience, which also included various health care students.
"It's one thing for students to watch a surgery online or on a YouTube video but it's quite another thing to interact with the surgical team," said Dr. Jason Werle, chief of the section of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Calgary.
Students directed questions to the surgeon, anesthesiologist and surgical nurse during the operation.
"(It's a great opportunity) to introduce students to the science of surgery, biomedical engineering, meeting nursing, as well as introducing students to health care careers," said Werle.
HEALTH CARE CAREER INSIGHT
Telus Spark has hosted direct broadcasts of surgeries for high-schoolers several times a year since 2013.
"It's that amazing experience that they wouldn't get to see otherwise," said Jen Duffy, manager of youth programs at Telus Spark.
Many of the students say the experience has helped them think about life after high school.
"It was really cool. It felt very immersive and I loved how we got to ask live questions while they were doing it," said Hayden Leppert, a Grade 12 student at St. Francis High School.
"We got first-hand information from them about their job and what to do to get there," said Trey Soondarsingh, a Grade 12 student at All Saints High School.
Others say it has helped them weed out a potential career path.
"Now that I saw everything, I thought maybe this isn't for me. It's cool to watch, cool to learn, but I don't think I'd be able to handle it," said Taran Swinton, a classmate of Leppert's.
The surgery was completed on time without complications.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.