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4855
qualitative
book
Rivas T. & Smit R., Journal of Near-Death Studies Vol 31, 2013, Dr. Rudy Case
Journal of Near-Death Studies, Dr. Rudy Christmas Case, Vol 31, 2013
1997
1997-12-25
2013
M
On Christmas Day 1997, a patient underwent emergency heart valve surgery at Deaconess Hospital in Spokane, Washington. The surgery was performed by Dr. Lloyd Rudy and Dr. Roberto Amado-Cattaneo. The patient had an infected native valve from an oral infection requiring emergency valve resection and replacement. After completing the repair, the team could not get the patient off cardiopulmonary bypass. Every attempt to reduce blood flow resulted in weakening vital signs.
After prolonged efforts, the team pronounced the patient dead. The anesthesiologist turned off his machine and went to eat. Staff began removing instruments while Dr. Cattaneo briefly closed the incision for autopsy. The monitoring equipment continued running, with paper readout accumulating on the floor and the transesophageal echo probe still recording. After 20-25 minutes with no heartbeat, no blood pressure, and no heart movement on the echo, electrical activity suddenly appeared. The heart began beating slowly at 30-40 beats per minute, then generated blood pressure without any medical intervention. The doctors called the team back and successfully revived the patient without neurological deficit. Over the next two weeks, the patient described his experience of floating around the operating room. He accurately described seeing Drs. Rudy and Cattaneo standing in the doorway with arms folded talking, witnessed the anesthesiologist running back in, and most remarkably, saw Post-it notes stuck on the TV monitor containing phone messages for Dr. Rudy. He described this layered arrangement of Post-its that had accumulated during surgery. Dr. Rudy confirmed these were call-back messages the nurse had placed on the monitor during the procedure. The patient could not have seen these before surgery as there were no calls yet, and his eyes were taped shut throughout. Dr. Cattaneo independently confirmed all details, stating the patient had "no physiologic life" for over 20 minutes yet returned with accurate observations of events during that time.
1
Hospital
15
20
50
Strong Evidence
15
Documented 20-25 min cardiac arrest with continuous monitoring showing flatline
Specific observation of Post-it notes arrangement impossible to know beforehand
written_account
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
0.00
1.00
Transesophageal echo probe recording
Dr. Rudy and Dr. Cattaneo
2,011.00
7/31/2025
2
2
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