my first time…

JeffreyMD will be hosting SurgeXperiences on August 17, 2008. It will be his first time hosting. His suggested theme is “my first time”. Though this could cover a wide range of firsts, I think he intends for it to be related to surgery.

Kenny Loggins’ “For the first time”

My first surgical rotation began this year at a metropolitan teaching hospital in Melbourne. It was not my first time on the surgical wards or the theatre, so i guess it wasn’t that much of a surprise or eye-opener for me. I had previously spent some time in a General Surgical Department in a hospital in Singapore over the holidays. Some excerpts from my blog posts then:

i observed surgeries, helped in a few, and it was definitely an eye opening experience. i met a great resident (a.k.a. medical officer), Dr Glenn, who was really kind and warm, explaining to me stuff that i didn’t know. we hit it off especially since he was an AI spec previously from 42 SAR. he did his MbChB in glasgow and MRCS that as well. Cool.

I observed a few surgeries: removal of piles (hemorrhoidectomy), cyst removal from a knee, and a laparoscopic hernia repair. I assisted in a 3-hr long gastrectomy, (darn the holding of retractors and intestines away to expose the sites), and thyroidectomies (subtotal and total). Learnt a thing or two, like the importance of avoiding the recurrent laryngeal nerve during thyroidectomy to prevent post-op symptoms like hoarseness or coarseness of voice, or the important parathyroid glands to prevent Ca imbalance.

And one last important takeaway: SURGERY SIMPLY ROCKS!!! when glenn asked me, albeit admitting himself it was a little early, that if i would be coming back next time, i said hell yea. surgery is so much cooler. i can’t see why anyone is not settled for this exciting discipline. and hey, free lunch at the scrub canteen.

But let me recount a little more:

 

• The first time i saw the poor lady in lithotomy position, i thought to myself, “Geez, so much for adequate exposure.”

 

 

• The first time i saw those haemorrhoids, i thought “Gee i hope i never get them!”

• The first time i touched small intestines, i thought, “Wow. Shit! I’m holding someone’s guts!” They felt slimy, cold, and soft.

 

(ascaris image)

It looked something like that, except it was not distended like above,which is a SBO due to ascaris. Image credit.

 

• The first time i used the diathermy to control bleeding, i felt “empowered”.  I felt like a surgical trainee.

• The first time i learnt how to tie off arteries and veins, i practised and practised till i could do it with closed eyes. 

These are just a few of my experiences. I am sure there are many out there who has done more, like those who have actually tied off an artery, or has used that cool stapling device thingy used for gastrectomies, or done an entire lipoma excision procedure.. I am hoping as i proceed in my course, i get to do more. I got a 9-week Gen Surg rotation coming up, so i’m looking forward to that. I can’t wait.

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