The Healing Power of Art: How Creativity is Transforming Cardiology
For Jamil Aboulhosn, MD, director of the Ahmanson/UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center, art isn’t a hobby – it’s integral to his practice. From nightly sketching sessions to custom artwork for patients, Dr. Aboulhosn demonstrates how creative expression can enhance understanding, improve communication, and even refine surgical precision.
From Beirut to the Bedside: A Lifelong Passion
Dr. Aboulhosn’s artistic journey began in childhood, sketching under the couch in Lebanon. Though his early artwork was lost during the Lebanese Civil War, the passion endured. While initially considering a career as a cartoonist, financial realities led him to medicine. Still, art remained a constant companion, even finding a renewed purpose during his anatomy studies at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.
The ‘Aha!’ Moment: Art and Congenital Heart Disease
The connection between art and cardiology solidified during Dr. Aboulhosn’s residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Faced with his first case of congenital heart disease, he found himself instinctively drawing the complex anatomy. This visual approach unlocked a deeper understanding, leading him to specialize in a field where “a light went off in my head.” He realized congenital cardiology offered a unique “playground” for artistic interpretation due to the endless structural variations.
Sketching Solutions: Art in the Cardiac Catheterization Lab
Dr. Aboulhosn utilizes his artistic skills to explain complex procedures to patients, often sketching diagrams that patients can then share with their families. This visual aid fosters understanding and trust. Beyond patient communication, these sketches too serve as a crucial planning tool for minimally invasive procedures. He uses them to navigate the heart during cardiac catheterization, improving precision and outcomes.
Beyond Technique: Cultivating Focus and Precision
The benefits extend beyond anatomical understanding. Dr. Aboulhosn’s meticulous perform assembling dioramas – miniature scenes depicting historical events – has honed his focus and hand-eye coordination. He believes this precision directly translates to his surgical work, benefiting both him and his patients.
Art as a Teaching Tool
Dr. Aboulhosn extends his artistic approach to medical education. He challenges his students and fellows to visualize and draw anatomical structures, believing this method fosters a deeper comprehension than simply reciting terminology. For the past two decades, he has also gifted each graduating fellow a custom-painted artwork representing their time in the program.
Camp del Corazon: Art and Healing for Young Hearts
Dr. Aboulhosn’s commitment to art extends to his work with children. At Camp del Corazon, a program for children with congenital heart disease, he creates personalized artwork for campers and their families, offering a unique form of emotional support and connection.
The Future of Art in Medicine
Dr. Aboulhosn’s approach isn’t an isolated case. Increasingly, medical professionals are recognizing the value of incorporating artistic practices into their training and patient care. This trend suggests several potential future developments:
Enhanced Medical Visualization
Advances in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) could build upon Dr. Aboulhosn’s sketching technique, allowing surgeons to visualize complex anatomy in 3D before and during procedures. This could lead to even greater precision and reduced invasiveness.
Art Therapy Integration
The use of art therapy as a complementary treatment for cardiac patients could become more widespread. Art therapy can help patients cope with anxiety, depression, and the emotional challenges of living with a chronic condition.
AI-Assisted Artistic Diagnosis
Artificial intelligence (AI) could potentially analyze medical images and generate artistic representations that highlight subtle anomalies, aiding in diagnosis. While still in its early stages, this technology holds promise for improving diagnostic accuracy.
Curriculum Reform in Medical Schools
Medical schools may begin to integrate more art-based learning into their curricula, recognizing the benefits of visual thinking and spatial reasoning for future physicians.
FAQ
Q: What type of art does Dr. Aboulhosn create?
A: He enjoys drawing, painting (using ink, charcoal, and acrylics), and assembling dioramas.
Q: Is art a required skill for cardiologists?
A: No, but Dr. Aboulhosn’s experience demonstrates how artistic skills can be a valuable asset.
Q: What is Camp del Corazon?
A: It’s a program for children with congenital heart disease.
Q: How does drawing help with understanding anatomy?
A: The act of drawing forces a deeper level of observation and processing, leading to a more thorough understanding of complex structures.
Did you know? Approximately 1% of the human population is born with a congenital heart defect.
Pro Tip: If you’re struggling to understand a complex medical concept, try sketching it out. You might be surprised at how much clearer it becomes.
Interested in learning more about congenital heart disease? Visit the Ahmanson/UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center website.
