Home Call

One of the quirks of this rotation is "home call." We take call on average every fourth night, and on our call days we are usually scheduled for the longest case of the day - most commonly multiple valve replacement, aortic arch repair, or correction of congenital heart disease. After we finish our case, we finish up any remaining cardiovascular surgeries or add-ons. But once all the rooms are finished, we can go home, provided that we can get back to the hospital within 30 minutes. We are available for emergent take-backs, aortic dissections, heart transplants, embolectomy, and other life- (or limb-) threatening cardiovascular issues. When we take call on the weekends, it's a similar situation if there are no elective cases booked.

Home call is an odd concept. It is absolutely wonderful to be able to go home and sleep in my own bed, but the sleep is fraught with stress. I always worry about what might come in and my response time. I don't sleep as soundly. I check my pager obsessively. But as it counts as a real call and we get the following day off, I cannot complain.