Nov 09, 2006 17:58
After a stint with wound and ostomy care, the next day brought on a round at the Operating Room, number 7 specifically. The circulating nurse, Jackie, was very accommodating, fitting me with splash goggles and two step stands so that I could get a great ringside view of the procedures. I watched pre-op and post-op counts of instruments and sponges, saw how everything was meticulously documented, and took into account of how sterility was maintained. Jackie patiently explained everything as they happened inside the OR, in the patient holding area, and in the recovery room. She let me shadow her as she dealt with the clients, procuring consents for anaesthesia, wheeling them to the OR, setting up the operating table, positioning them for the procedure, wheeling them into the recovery room, and endorsing them to the post-op team.
The anaesthesiologist, Dr. Lipoff, explained to me his procedures and use of equipment. He even let me peek into the laryngoscope as he was intubating the patient, giving me an actual look at the epiglottis and vocal chords (quite a different view than the models we see in anatomy class!). He showed me the different screens on the monitor and told me what each graph was for. He made anaesthesia so interesting that I was torn between watching what he was doing and watching the surgical procedures.
Then I met Dr. Pickens, the surgeon a.k.a. master of the game, musician, and teacher. During the three procedures, he mentored a fellow Filipina who must have been training to be a first assistant. She was one of the scrub nurses during the instrument count but did the actual assisting during the procedure, following his cues and verbal instructions. As each surgery proceeded, Dr. Pickens explained what he was doing and gave me pop-quizzes at the end of each procedure perhaps to see if I was following what he was saying.
A notable part of the experience was the conversations that took place in the OR. By the time it was established that the two doctors and myself were musicians, Dr. Lipoff proceeded to plug in his iPod into speakers and played his collection of Ray Charles’ music. We began to discuss music, books, politics, and school in between the explanations of the procedures taking place. This lightened the situation and established a rapport among all of us present.
The three operations I witnessed were an inguinal hernia repair, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, and a modified radical mastectomy. Without going into the detail of each procedure, I can truly say that this experience was absolutely awesome, fascinating, educational, and inspirational. I would do it again in a heartbeat.