Flatline to Lifeline With Dr. Long

What happens when a 17-year-old girl arrives at the trauma center with her face destroyed by a shotgun blast? In this episode, we explore an extraordinary case that demonstrates why specialized expertise and immediate intervention make all the difference between life and death.

The shotgun injury created catastrophic damage, essentially removing the girl's face from the eyebrows down to the upper lip. Most trauma cent...

Caution: Graphic Medical Content. Listener Discretion Advised

A shotgun blast to the face at close range should've been fatal. Everything between her eyebrows and upper teeth was gone—eyes, nose, mid-face—yet somehow, a 17-year-old girl survived. This is the first episode in a three-part series exploring one of the most remarkable and complex facial trauma cases in medical history.

The secret to her survival? An extraordinary co...

A police officer is shot point-blank in the face during a routine traffic stop, the .38 caliber bullet severing his internal carotid artery at the base of his skull. Most wouldn't survive this catastrophic injury, but at Emanuel Hospital—a place Dr. Bryce Potter describes as "a hard place to die"—something remarkable happens.

Dr. Bill Long is joined by Dr. Bryce Potter, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, as they take ...

In this compelling episode of Flatline to Lifeline, Dr. Bill Long welcomes his longtime colleague Dr. Bryce Potter, a remarkable specialist with dual MD and DMD degrees, to explore how specialized training and innovative systems change patient outcomes.

Dr. Potter represents a rare breed of medical professionals - at the time of his practice, he was one of only twelve people in the United States with his particular combina...

When a motorcycle police officer collided with an SUV at 50 mph, his survival chances seemed slim. With fixed, dilated pupils—a classic sign of severe brain trauma—the clock was ticking. In this riveting exploration of emergency neurosurgery, Dr. Bill Long and special guest Dr. Jeff Chen, former director of trauma neurosurgery at Emanuel Hospital, take us through the life-saving measures that turned catastrophe into recovery.

The ep...

Every second counts when a young boxing champion collapses unconscious in the ring. With his brain hemorrhaging and pressure building inside his skull, his life hangs by a thread. This is the story of a race against time, innovative medical thinking, and the power of teamwork in trauma care.

Dr. Long takes us deep inside the intricate architecture of the human brain and its protective systems. We learn how the scalp, skull...

In this poignant and insightful episode, Dr. Bill Long and host Will welcome special guests, producer Lindsey Kealey and organizational guru Esther McDonald, for a candid roundtable discussion as Season Four of Flatline to Lifeline begins. Moving beyond immediate shock trauma, this conversation delves into the vital role of patient advocacy when facing life-threatening medical scenarios. 

Lindsey shares her deeply personal and curre...

We're thrilled to announce that Flatline to Lifeline is officially returning for Season 4! Thank you for your patience, loyal listeners. We haven't forgotten you! Get ready for more compelling case studies and insights into the revolutionary trauma care pioneered by Dr. Long. We'll be diving deeper into the extraordinary impact of his 50-year career, exploring the very real potential for survival in the face of near-...

Ever wondered how trauma care can reach the most remote corners of our country? Joining us today is Dr. John Hill, the brilliant mind alongside Dr. Bill Long, who pioneered the Mobile Surgical Transport Team (MSTT) in Oregon. Discover how their innovative approach has revolutionized trauma care by bringing critical surgical interventions directly to rural hospitals, drastically improving survival rates. You'll hear about the o...

Join us for a gripping recap of the 1986 Mount Hood disaster on Flatline to Lifeline. Listen as Dr. Bill Long takes us through the bone-chilling events, describing the blizzard that ensnared a group of high school students and faculty, turning an annual expedition into a catastrophe. Dr. Long recounts his experience from the initial awareness at the hospital to the moment the urgency of the situation shattered the calm, drawing in ...

Balancing on the tightrope of life and death, we delve into the ethical quandaries of critical care. Listen to Dr. Long's and Dr. Hill’s insights into the moral complexities medical professionals face, especially when personal beliefs intersect with broader ethical standards. Through a case involving severe brain damage to a 19-year-old woman in a car accident, we explore the intricate decisions around using ECMO for life supp...

In this episode we share a case study of a young woman who survived a devastating car crash, thanks to Dr. Long’s use of cardiopulmonary bypass . We explore the differences between various types of burns and the extreme impacts of chemical and electrical injuries. This episode covers it all, offering a deep dive into the severity of third-degree burns and the critical role of specialized surgeons in emergency trauma care. We discus...

Prepare to be inspired by the innovations of Dr. Bill Long and Dr. John Hill, the "Cardiac Cowboys," who have revolutionized trauma care. You'll gain deep insights into their use of the portable cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) machine, a game-changer in emergency medicine that has saved countless lives. Hear the gripping tale of a 34-year-old patient from rural Walla Walla, Washington, who survived a life-threatening sh...

What if the key to saving lives in critical moments lies in the blend of mechanical precision and human compassion? Join us as we uncover the extraordinary journey of Dr. Bill Long and Dr. John Hill, two trailblazers in trauma care whose partnership began in the fast-paced world of Southern California.

Discover how the evolution of cardiopulmonary bypass technology has revolutionized cardiac surgery over the past 70 years,...

Join us on this enlightening episode of Flatline to Lifeline as Dr. Bill Long unpacks the complexities of fluid dynamics in medicine. We'll draw intriguing parallels between the cardiovascular system and electrical circuits, making sense of blood flow and pressure gradients. Understand how these fundamental principles are applied in surgical settings, particularly in the function of the intra-aortic balloon pump, and how naval...

In a small Oregon coastal fishing port, a 60 y.o. male fell from a ladder on a pier trying to get into his boat. He fell 6 feet breaking his sternum, causing a cardiac arrest. The fall was witnessed by 3 men who hoisted him to the top of the pier, where EMTs awaited him. The man wasn’t breathing, had no pulses, and was unconscious.

Local EMTs did cardiac life support, including endotracheal intubation and defibrillating  him multipl...

Case study of a 22 y.o. male driver of car, head on collision on an interstate highway, blunt chest trauma, rupture of pericardium with herniation of heart into left pleural cavity

The accident occurred not far from The Dalles, an Oregon town on the Columbia River about a 1 ½ hour drive from Portland. EMTs extricated him from the vehicle, “needled his left chest” to release a tension pneumothorax, and transported him to the nearest ...

Penetrating Trauma (.22 rifle bullet at close range) with injury to left common iliac artery & vein with initial stabilization by emergency physician in a very rural hospital in Lakeview, Oregon 

Josh, a 16 y.o. boy, was going to hunt squirrels with his .22 rifle.  He drove his car to a ranch outside of Lakeview, Oregon, a small rural town where Lakeview District Hospital has a 24-bed capacity and provided emergency medical serv...

Case Study: Temporizing Balloon Angioplasty and Embolectomy for a Blunt Trauma Thrombosed Left Common Iliac Artery at a Rural Level 3 Trauma Center

A 36 year-old lady and her husband from New York were vacationing on the northern Oregon Coast when an oncoming car crashed into their car and their car went off the highway into a deep ditch. This happened during a coastal storm with high winds and rain. Coastal EMS had diffic...