#1
POD 1 esophagectomy patient from a thoracic surgeon is profusely bleeding from his anastomoses sites.  Blood is coming out of tracheostomy nonstop making us unable to oxygenate the patient. Patient is getting brady from hypoxemia, and we’re foreseeing the inevitable PEA arrest awaiting to happen.
And then, here comes our Hiro with his favorite ECMO cart to rescue!

#2
s/p double lung transplant patient who recently was discharged to rehab came back to ER for SOB, then cardiac arrested over an hour in ER bay. Hiro and his favorite attending to place a VA ECMO, patient is still striving.

#3
Hiro has been in OR for a cardiac case, then he’s called to a organ procurement. He was in pure joy thinking about how many WADA shirts he could order more after this. However, he had to scrub in again for the transplant. He didn’t remember how he got home after a loooooong day. He came back to the hospital after a short nap wearing the same scrub he wore the day before.
Now his apartment manager left a note under the door, so he could clean his room if he would ever come back home any soon.

#4

One of another typical days where Hiro was in double-lung transplant case all night long and the morning. He miraculously came in time to give us a great presentation despite a sleepless night in OR.

#5 to infinity
There were countless days and nights that Hiro showed up everywhere anytime to rescue so many situations. I don’t think he ever realized how his name perfectly fitted for what he did here at UCMC. When Hiro and Dr. Ota were scrubbed in the same case, we would expect the case to be Ninja fast no mater how complicated cases were. It’s so weird not seeing his name on OR board anymore. MedStar is so lucky to have you and we wish to have you back soon!!!

p.s. Hiro wants to be called Dr. Kitahara, but you’re going to be our Hiro forever.

Young, NP, APN