7 Fast Questions with Structural Coronary heart Specialist Adanna Akujuo

Adanna C Akujuo, MD, is a coronary heart surgeon who treats sufferers with coronary heart valve, coronary heart rhythm, and coronary heart artery points. She can be the surgical director of UVA Well being’s structural coronary heart program and vice chair of
range, fairness, and inclusion for UVA Well being’s division of surgical procedure.

Akujuo is devoted to serving to sufferers really feel snug and listened to, and believes in treating her sufferers with the identical stage of care she would give to a member of the family. “I will be devoted to taking good care of them previous to their process, by way of their process, and after their process, as I’d anticipate any member of my household to be taken care of,” she says.

Meet This Charlotteville-Primarily based Coronary heart Surgeon

We requested Akujuo our 7 fast inquiries to get to know her higher.

1. What has most impressed and formed your strategy to affected person care?

What has impressed and formed my strategy to affected person care is witnessing how individuals from deprived neighborhoods typically get handled disproportionately in healthcare, and as well as, seeing the worry that each one individuals are available with once they have coronary heart illness.

I consider that it’s my obligation not simply to be a surgeon and function technically, however to additionally deal with all the emotional facets that include present process coronary heart surgical procedure. Not solely taking good care of the sufferers but in addition making an attempt to consolation their members of the family as effectively, as a result of they undergo this troublesome course of with the sufferers. So, it is my job not solely to be a surgeon for them, however to reassure them, to teach them, to advocate for them, and to guarantee that they get the perfect care whereas they’re beneath my care.

2. What’s your favourite a part of your job?

The favourite a part of my job is taking good care of somebody who’s extraordinarily unwell and in misery and having them stroll into my workplace a month later with an enormous smile on their face and glad concerning the high quality of life that they now have.

3. What’s your greatest worry if you’re a affected person?

As a affected person, I consider that my greatest phobia or worry is that no matter process I endure won’t achieve success or that my high quality of life won’t ever be what I need it to be.

4. What do you do for stress aid?

For stress aid, I am a runner. I attempt to run each morning. It’s a little troublesome, however operating and take heed to music is a method that I loosen up and recover from stress.

5. Canines or cats?

I’ve at all times grown up with cats. I’ve neither now, however I grew up with cats.

6. Final film you noticed? Thumbs up or down?

I do not keep in mind the final time I went to the movie show. Mission Not possible was the final film I noticed. I feel it was Mission Not possible II and it was neither thumbs up nor a thumbs down, type of a halfway.

7. Greatest recommendation you have ever heard?

The perfect recommendation that I’ve ever heard was earlier than you react, take a deep breath, take a second, give it some thought, take a step away if you have to, after which give it your greatest response.

Second greatest is to at all times search the steerage of those that’ve come earlier than you and have paved the way in which as a result of they’ll information you.