Gods (Bogowie)

On January 4th 1969 Professor Jan Moll was the first

to attempt a heart transplant in Poland

The patient died on the operating table

POLISH ATTEMPT HEART TRANSPLANT

Prof. Moll was not prepared.

He decided to operate without the necessary knowledge

to have success.

A Lukasz Palkowski film

MOLL KILLS PATIENT ON THE OPERATING TABLE

Prof. Moll, did you realize

that a procedure on, such a vital organ as, the heart

may alter the recipient's personality?

Maybe it was a risky choice,

but the only one which gave the patient a chance to survive.

- But leaving no chance for the donor... - He was pronounced brain dead!

The Poles are jelous even of one others failures.

Based on a true story

Warsaw, 1983

35 minutes. Too long.

GODS - Religa.

- What do we have? - 42, chest pain,

cold extremities, pulse 115, pressure...

- Let me osculate. - Blood pressure 72/40,

ECG with infarction signs.

Acute systolic murmur.

We're operating! Prepare the OR, and call the perfusionist.

Let's go.

- The old man will have your balls. - Have you seen his coronarography?

- We have to open him up. - maybe we should take him in for observation?

Pulse is accelerating, the pressures barely holding.

Krysia, call the old man.

Krysia, Krysia! Someone has to finish after me in the pathology.

Zbyszek, What the fuck are we doing? He doesn't stand a chance.

Turn that beeper up!

Using the pump?

- Where is the perfusionist? - He's changing. - Time.

- Where've you been? - In the middle of the night? At home!

- What's this? - Acute mitral regurgitation.

- Probably. - And the boss?

Krysia's trying to reach him. We can either try to help

or wait till he dies. I'll need a vein and a valve!

The valves are locked.

We can start the briefing.

Where is Dr. Religa?

The report from the night shift...

At 11.15 pm a patient brought in with a myocardial infarction,

- a distinct murmur at the heart apex. - A valve.

He didn't operate, did he?

The professor wants to see you.

So he sends coffee?

- Check his hourly diuresis. - Why did you

decide to operate on your own?

I was on duty.

My dear colleague...

- In my clinic... - He would have died.

- Don't interrupt! - We couldn't reach you.

You've broken all the rules. Without my consent, in ECC,

not to mention the break-in.

- I had to operate. - Thank you.

So far, the patient is stable.

Go home and rest.

Someone will fill in for you.

What's up, Zbyszek? How was it?

- Ewa, what are you doing here? - You lost your stelosoope again.

It's called a stethoscope. Tell me...

what would I do without you?

Don't smoke, you'll lose stamina.

Doctor, don't make passes at our patient.

- Go to sleep. - Hang on there.

- Walking or riding? - Riding.

Hold on.

I've never heard anyone in Poland share their professional insights.

- Jan Moll. - Zbigniew Religa.

Our guest here, assisted his brother during the first heart transplant in the World.

A year later, I did it here.

They made history...

And you almost got crucified!

- Have you been in the U.S. for long? - In total...

- two years. - It may be more difficult for you here.

- Were you bored? - Only at the end.

Remember how many times the DA

asked us to open skulls in order to certify death,

and a few days later the patient would go home?

- Were those miracles? - Surgeons don't wait for miracles.

We have no right to experiments which, if unsuccessful,

could take even a week of life away.

Could you cope with that? Let's go get a drink.

No one else wants to go to that shithole?

Will you get your own clinic in Warsaw?

Staszek, I've got a family, I won't take your clinic.

- You could do what you want. - I do it anyway.

That's why I'm talking to you.

I need some fresh air.

- Goodnight. - Goodnight.

Zbyszek! Zabrze is beautiful!

Hello.

Good evening.

No, thanks. I don't smoke.

- Marian Zembala, Andrzej Bochenek. - Religa. Zbyszek.

Good evening.

- We've seen you talking to Moll, sir. - We're on first name basis.

Did you talk to Moll about transplants?

About rejection.

We've been analyzing his operation.

- And you found it successful? - We stopped at rejections.

But even that was too much. They want to get rid of us so bad,

- they're sending us for internships. - Where?

- England for me, Holland for him. - Congratulations. I was in the US.

This is the way it is. The old are too scared, and the young aren't allowed.

Just make sure you come back, don't leave me alone with them.

How was the congress?

- We'll be done before your read it. - Thank you, doctor.

- How are you Ewka? - I'm good, Zbyszek. - Ewka!

- How are you feeling? - Poorly.

- Where are you going? - To get cut.

Do you remember, I told about those operations. They're easy.

- It's something else I'm worried about. - What is it?

That I'll be naked in there.

Don't worry, I'll close my eyes.

- Watch him for me. - Watch Teddy, got it.

Ewa...

- On stage, but doesn't speak? - A mime.

I thought it was a dog. Saw.

What's with the silence?

- We're going into circulation. - Cooling.

- Suction. - Ready.

Let's open the heart.

Hook.

- Oh, Ewa... - What is it?

- What is it? - Fuck!

Take a look. It's not your typical TOF.

- The ventricle is enlarged. - Acquired atresia.

- We can't do it all. - You want to leave it?

- Her heart won't make it. - We've got no choice.

First let's close the ventricular defect.

Then widen the pulmonary valve.

It has to work!

Tweezers.

36 degrees. After reperfusion.

- The patient is warm. - Prepare to go out of ECC.

- Reducing cardiac output. - How much?

1.5... 1.5 litres.

Gently.

Breathing.

Stop circulation.

What's wrong? What is it?

Fuck... we've got hypoxia.

Keep working, girl. More oxygen.

Zbyszek... let's go back to ECC.

Asystole, again. She has to manage on her own.

- More adrenaline! - I can increase it, but it won't help.

- Do it! - It won't help.

Work with me, girl!

Keep working!

Are you crazy? She could get infected, put on new ones!

The missus?

- Excuse me? - Did you mess up or your missus?

God.

Then let it go.

I can't.

You can't force anyone to stay. The heart won't listen.

We'll see about that.

I didn't...

I didn't make any mistakes.

There was no other way to do it.

I had to try.

Having diagnosed pulmonary atresia, Why didn't you stop the operation?

There was no other option. What would you have done?

You had a variety of options to choose from.

For example?

If you had stopped, would the patient have survived?

No.

What was the direct cause of death?

Electromechanical dissociation

caused by end-stage heart damage in this disease.

We didn't overcome the vascular resistance

due to the underdeveloped pulmonary vessels.

The heart didn't start beating, after the defects have been removed.

You've convinced me.

- But not me. - Come on...

It was too late for the surgery...

Dr Religa didn't make any mistakes. He had to try.

That girl's life must have been unbearable.

The smallest effort could have killed her.

Doctor, thank you for coming to the Ethics Committee.

There was...

one solution that could have saved her.

Care to enlighten us?

A heart transplant.

You must be joking.

You'd be willing to experiment on a child?

I don't know why you, cardiologists, think that you're gods.

Do you know any other way we could've saved her?

I repeat:

we are investigating a child's death.

That's right. It was also my child... dear colleague.

Thank you.

Wait.. .just a second...

I have to go to Warsaw. I won't be long.

If you go, I'll divorce you.