Crazy....could be
On Friday I did a very lengthy case with the little doctor. To explain him is a rather difficult task. Let's just say he is a cross between Mr Magoo and the Nutty Professor. He leans toward Magoo on looks and glasses. My coworkers have started calling him the little lunatic, but I feel that title should be reserved for days when he he's about two calls away from the straight jacket people.
Anyway, there was a physical therapy student in the room on Friday. Now why physical therapy students need to see an open heart surgical procedure is beyond me. I realize that they will help immensely with recovery, but the actual procedure??? Who knows...not for me to decide. The point being is that we had "company". As with any family, when there is company, everyone should be on their best behavior. Naturally, just like at home, that didn't happen on Friday. Of course the positive thing is that the PT student is no doubt very happy she is doing what she is and not looking at our jobs as any sort that she would want to undertake.
The day began with Dr Magoo being an hour late. This happens. Then however, he has the audacity to come into the room and tell everyone to hurry up because it was late. HUH??? Did he already forget that he was the one that was late??? The rest of us could have slept for another hour. Oh well, ignore and move on.
He has a heavy Korean accent and has a tendency to have two distinct ways of speaking....either mumbling so you have no idea what he is saying or screaming, because apparently, we are all deaf. The method by which he chooses which one to use, is on a spreadsheet in his head and he is the only one who has the coded combination to it. Needless to say, you just never know!!!
This particular case was going to be long from the beginning. It was three bypass grafts with a repair of the mitral valve. Ok, so we move ahead and get started. Ignoring some unknown yelling along the way, seems that things were moving in a forward motion. Until, at some point, Dr Magoo sticks himself with a 4-0 needle. Now, such a needle is not huge, but neither is it small. It definitely made a hole through his glove and he was bleeding. So, we stop. Get rid of the gloves. The circulators tend to his wound. All is OK till someone mentions that they saw on the chart that this patient has hepatitis C. Oh shit is the following expletive from Dr Magoo, which is understandable. However, now there is a frenzied discussion about whether this is true or simply looked like a possibility due to another complication being treated by a specific drug concoction. Much yelling and many phone calls later, we are all relieved to know that the patient does not have hepatitis C.
Whew, now we can continue to work on the procedure with no further discussion of that matter. Of course now, this has thrown the continuity of the procedure off some, so we are a little out of sync. As the perfusionist running the heart lung machine, it is my responsibility to repeat back whatever the surgeon says to me so that they know I heard what they said. However, the surgeon doesn't seem to remember that he has the same responsibility to me. DUH! Big surprise there, huh? Oh well, move on. However, because of this, I generally wait a minute for a response and when I don't get one, I will ask if he heard me. Usually he has and this line of questioning annoys him, but that is part of my job....nagging. Remember the old Joan Jett song...She's a nag, nag, naggity, nag!! Oh yea...and sometimes, not always, but sometimes, that can be great fun!!! We all have to take our pleasure where we can get it.
Anyway, the next big mystery is that we are getting ready to come off the pump. So there is some counting of instruments that will not be used later in the procedure. However, something is missing. The scrub techs search the entire field...can't find it. The circulators search the floors, linen, lap sponges can't find it. The rest of us look at the floor in our general vicinities and also can't find it. Dr Magoo assures everyone he just set three of them down on the field with the holders. NOPE, not there. Some further yelling ensues; most of it is garbled and not understandable, probably just as well. Search continues.
We finally come off the pump, uneventfully. Patient is doing well. Search continues for lost clamp. Finally they call X-ray to make sure it is not inside the chest. Guess what??? Turns out clamp was in chest and Dr Magoo was apparently wrong about where he set them. Thankfully, it was found before any of the closing procedure had begun. It was recovered and everything went smoothly after that. However, I'm sure that the PT student will never, ever want to see the inside of the operating room again. Apparently, our jobs are safe!! WHEW!!
As always, just another in a long line of adventures with Dr Magoo. Next week will be something else to look forward to, no doubt.
Anyway, there was a physical therapy student in the room on Friday. Now why physical therapy students need to see an open heart surgical procedure is beyond me. I realize that they will help immensely with recovery, but the actual procedure??? Who knows...not for me to decide. The point being is that we had "company". As with any family, when there is company, everyone should be on their best behavior. Naturally, just like at home, that didn't happen on Friday. Of course the positive thing is that the PT student is no doubt very happy she is doing what she is and not looking at our jobs as any sort that she would want to undertake.
The day began with Dr Magoo being an hour late. This happens. Then however, he has the audacity to come into the room and tell everyone to hurry up because it was late. HUH??? Did he already forget that he was the one that was late??? The rest of us could have slept for another hour. Oh well, ignore and move on.
He has a heavy Korean accent and has a tendency to have two distinct ways of speaking....either mumbling so you have no idea what he is saying or screaming, because apparently, we are all deaf. The method by which he chooses which one to use, is on a spreadsheet in his head and he is the only one who has the coded combination to it. Needless to say, you just never know!!!
This particular case was going to be long from the beginning. It was three bypass grafts with a repair of the mitral valve. Ok, so we move ahead and get started. Ignoring some unknown yelling along the way, seems that things were moving in a forward motion. Until, at some point, Dr Magoo sticks himself with a 4-0 needle. Now, such a needle is not huge, but neither is it small. It definitely made a hole through his glove and he was bleeding. So, we stop. Get rid of the gloves. The circulators tend to his wound. All is OK till someone mentions that they saw on the chart that this patient has hepatitis C. Oh shit is the following expletive from Dr Magoo, which is understandable. However, now there is a frenzied discussion about whether this is true or simply looked like a possibility due to another complication being treated by a specific drug concoction. Much yelling and many phone calls later, we are all relieved to know that the patient does not have hepatitis C.
Whew, now we can continue to work on the procedure with no further discussion of that matter. Of course now, this has thrown the continuity of the procedure off some, so we are a little out of sync. As the perfusionist running the heart lung machine, it is my responsibility to repeat back whatever the surgeon says to me so that they know I heard what they said. However, the surgeon doesn't seem to remember that he has the same responsibility to me. DUH! Big surprise there, huh? Oh well, move on. However, because of this, I generally wait a minute for a response and when I don't get one, I will ask if he heard me. Usually he has and this line of questioning annoys him, but that is part of my job....nagging. Remember the old Joan Jett song...She's a nag, nag, naggity, nag!! Oh yea...and sometimes, not always, but sometimes, that can be great fun!!! We all have to take our pleasure where we can get it.
Anyway, the next big mystery is that we are getting ready to come off the pump. So there is some counting of instruments that will not be used later in the procedure. However, something is missing. The scrub techs search the entire field...can't find it. The circulators search the floors, linen, lap sponges can't find it. The rest of us look at the floor in our general vicinities and also can't find it. Dr Magoo assures everyone he just set three of them down on the field with the holders. NOPE, not there. Some further yelling ensues; most of it is garbled and not understandable, probably just as well. Search continues.
We finally come off the pump, uneventfully. Patient is doing well. Search continues for lost clamp. Finally they call X-ray to make sure it is not inside the chest. Guess what??? Turns out clamp was in chest and Dr Magoo was apparently wrong about where he set them. Thankfully, it was found before any of the closing procedure had begun. It was recovered and everything went smoothly after that. However, I'm sure that the PT student will never, ever want to see the inside of the operating room again. Apparently, our jobs are safe!! WHEW!!
As always, just another in a long line of adventures with Dr Magoo. Next week will be something else to look forward to, no doubt.