St. Elsewhere, Season 1

Dr. Craig:
Mr Broadwater. How are we this morning?

Mr. Broadwater:
Feelin' pretty good.

Dr. Craig:
Well, I have some good news, and I have some bad. Two of the major vessels to your heart, the left anterior descending artery, and the circumflex artery, are 90% obstructed.

Mr. Broadwater:
[stunned] But I feel fine.

Dr. Craig:
You didn't feel "fine" when you had those chest pains walking up a flight of stairs, now did you?

Mr. Broadwater:
Did I have a heart attack?

Dr. Craig:
No, but when we put you on the treadmill, your electrocardiogram indicated ischemia. And the angiography - do you remember when we put the dye through the heart? Revealed obstructions... VERY serious obstructions.

Mr. Broadwater:
[clutches his chest, breathing heavily] 90% obstructed?

Dr. Craig:
[holds up a long rubber tube] Let me show you something, Mr Broadwater - what does this look like to you?

Mr. Broadwater:
A rubber tube.

Dr. Craig:
Arteries are tubes. They carry the blood and oxygen from the heart. Now, bear with me. If we obstruct the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain... [ties a tight knot in the tube] What do you think happens?

Mr. Broadwater:
[gets up unsteadily] I-I don't believe this. I'm only 40 years old here. Doc, you...

Dr. Craig:
[curtly, shouting] You're fat. You smoke. Your father died of a heart attack when he was 42.

Mr. Broadwater:
But Doctor, there must be SOMETHING...

Dr. Craig:
You are walking a tightrope, Mr Broadwater. If it isn't the stairs today, it'll be washing the car tomorrow, or bouncing your little boy on your knee - or, if you're lucky, when you're sleeping.

Mr. Broadwater:
[sits back down weakly] Ohhhh, my dear God.

Dr. Craig:
Now, for the good news. [pause] I'm going to save you.

Mr. Broadwater:
How?

Dr. Craig:
Triple bypass.

Mr. Broadwater:
Surgery?

Dr. Craig:
[nods firmly] We'll give you a few moments to think about it, notify your loved ones. Do I have your complete cooperation? [holds out his hand]

Mr. Broadwater:
[shakes it half-heartedly] I guess so.

Dr. Craig:
Excellent.

[shakes Broadwater's hand, snaps the file shut, and breezes back out without further comment]