SurgeXperiences 225 – Q&A style!

Welcome to the 25th edition of SurgeXperiences – the one and only Surgical “Grand Rounds”, where the best surgical-related posts are gathered into one succinct post every 2 weeks. Thank you for dropping by, and because i’m in  exam mode, i shall present this edition in a Q&A fashion; enjoy!

Regular contributors

Q: What is “cell phone elbow”?

A: It is the layman term for “cubital tunnel syndrome”. For a detailed writeup, hop on over to Suture for a Living to have an expert tell you all ’bout it.

Q: We all know experience makes a difference, especially in surgery. But has this ever been validated by a study?

A: Yes! Aggravated DocSurg tells us so, in “I see Jimi in the mirror!“

Q: Who has had an eccentric superior and not know how to react to his comments/jokes?

A: Bongi! He tells us a story about his professor of thoracic surgery.

Q: What is Buckeye Surgeon suggesting over Quality Assurance Committees for physician-initiated healthcare reform?

A: Cost effectiveness! Why? Read here.

Q: What is “Dr Bard Parker’s” take on the working hours limits on surgical trainees nowadays?

A: “kids these days” sums it up. Link on to hear what he’s got to say over at his blog “A chance to cut is a chance to cure”!

Q: How can one cope better with having ‘difficult conversations’ with patients?

A: Find out here as Dr. T (Notes of an Anesthesboist) shares her experience on the recent ‘difficult conversations’ she has had.

Q: Is it possible to be ruthlessly kind, especially in the teaching of medicine?

A: Perhaps, as Bongi (Other Things Amanzi) relates an incident about treating a patient with a 3rd degree circumferential burn.

Newbies

Q: I notice there are not many Australia surgeon bloggers.. Are there any new ones who decided to write about their cool surgical lives?

A: Yes! The diary of a surgeon is revealed! Over at Crikey Bulletin, which features Prof Guy Maddern from Adelaide.

Q: What is it like after vision correction surgery? Is there someone who can tell us about his/her experience?

A: “I was surprised to discover I was immediately able to open my eyes and see normally.” Read all about it from web architect Matt Raible’s blog.

Q: What is the caption for the following advertisement? Who is the advertiser?

A: The caption is “Plastic Surgery Loans“. It is an ad by Fortis Bank.

Q: Speaking about plastic surgery, what is the title of the book Dr Maria Siemionow recently published?

A: Face to Face.

Q: What is this book about?

A: Dr Siemionow recounts her experience of leading a team who successfully performed the world’s first full face transplant at Cleveland Clinic. [link contains an exercept of the book as well]

Special tribute to a great surgeon

Q: What TV show did the late Prof Chris O’Brien (renowned head and neck surgical oncologist) star in?

A: Prof O’Brien was featured in an Australian reality medical TV series called Royal Prince Alfred, which showcases interesting cases and the doctors who work at this top Sydney hospital.

Q: What did Prof O’Brien die of?

A: Glioblastoma multiform, diagnosed in 2006. (source)

Q: What is the title of the book he wrote?

A: “Never say die.” Linked here is a 60-minutes interview with him after he was diagnosed.

Q: Who treated Prof O’Brien?

A: Dr Charlie Teo, a top (and some say controversial) neurosurgeon.  When contacted, he said this of his former colleague, “People face death in many different ways but he faced it with such dignity and tenacity … he taught me some great lessons on life….. He knew that he was fighting a formidable enemy and yet he still remained very positive until the bitter end.”

Surgical care

Q: Do doctors really read through the patient notes?

A: Apparently not, as Buckeye Surgeon discovers in a case where he recommended hospice care for a patient, but no one listened!

Q: Is it right for a surgeon to leave post-op care to the hospitalist?

A: No! Certainly not the not-so-Happy Hospitalist, who hears from another hospitalist that an orthopedic surgeon has been doing so and only seeing the patient on the discharge day. To quote, it’s “one of the worst examples of patient abandonment I can imagine.”

Q: How many pounds did Wrexham Maelor Hospital pay for surgical blunders made there over the last 3 years?

A: HALF A MILLION! Read more here.

A pinch of humour

Q: Is there a comic about medieval surgery that could make me laugh?

A: Maybe. Check one out at scanman’s posterous.

Q: What not to do or say when asking for an autograph from a sports star?

A: I’ll leave you to find out from yet another tale from Bongi, entitled “skande“

Some announcements

Q: What is so special about the next SurgeXperience edition?

A: It is the 50th edition!

Q: Who is the lucky blogger who gets to host SurgeXperiences on this very special occasion?

A: Dr Vijay, who blogs at scan man’s notes.. Be sure to submit your posts via this form. SurgeXperiences 226 will be hosted in 2 weeks’ time on 28 June 2009.

Q: Can i subscribe to SurgeXperiences using RSS or email?

A: Certainly! Do so over at this link.

Q: Where can i check out previous editions of this awesome surgical blog carnival?

A: The archives of SurgeXperiences are stored here(Season 2) and here (Season 1). Feel free to check them out!

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Let’s  round up with a joke (that carries a little tinge of politics), courtesy of In From The Night:

“Three Californian surgeons were playing golf together and discussing surgeries they had performed.

One of them said, “I’m the best surgeon in California . In my favorite case, a concert pianist lost seven fingers in an accident, I reattached them, and 8 months later he performed a private concert for the Queen of England.”

The second surgeon said, “That’s nothing. A young man lost an arm and both legs in an accident, I reattached them and two years later he won a gold medal in track and field events at the Olympics.”

The third surgeon said, “You guys are amateurs. Several years ago a woman was high on cocaine and marijuana and she rode a horse head-on into a train traveling 80 miles an hour.All I had left to work with was the woman’s hair and the horse’s ass.

I was able to put them together and now she’s Speaker of the House!”