So, wasn't quite sure what to expect as always. But for some reason I was more apprehensive about this rotation than others. However, it wasn't too bad. Since its so close to the holiday, there were very few people signing up for surgery (as you can imagine). The patient list was light and the residents has this apprehensive, suspicious air about the patients because this new years eve was so lacking in any traumas that they were sure something horrible was going to happen in the next couple days.
So i got a pretty good tour and learned all the weird things about surgery that nobody ever talks about. Where on your body you are sterile in surgery, how to not itch your nose, how to cough or sneeze when in the OR, when to have protective gear on, how only the surgical scrubs are allowed in the OR, etc. At least they had time to teach me, because I would have messed up at least all of that if they hadn't :).
Also I discovered why the surgery residents are nowhere to be found even on slow days. They have a SWEET call room. Its got couches, real food, and a wall sized flat screen with an xbox and about 20 games. We played call of duty for at least an hour today because it was so slow (course we can't eat tho-- not allowed out of the call room). They got particularly mad at one of the african residents who was quite the n00b. They gave it to me and took bets to see if i could do better than him. I just didn't mention I have an xbox of my own and my 34 kills per level i think made them feel bad :S. I didn't even think i was particularly good. So lesson one of surgery: don't beat the residents in call of duty.
That said, it was a great first day. I saw my first surgery-- an anal dilatation on a 17 year old female which Crohn's disease. She had multiple anal fistulas and needed to be able to poo out the proper hole. Seeing this simple procedure made me appreciate that I don't have to get this done. ever. She has to do it every 2 weeks. Lesson two of surgery: appreciate the poo.
I did get to see a couple gunshot wounds, nothing like a gun fight when its snowing. The 23 yr old got shot in the crotch, twice. Missed his special parts by an inch. that's just ridiculous. what's even more ridiculous is that guy comes in with gunshot to the crotch and doesn't go to surgery. Doesn't have any bad side effects at all. :S Lucky for him, unlucky for me.
They decided to let the medical students go home early (at like 3). But because it was so early I decided to catch up with a resident friend of mine who was on trauma surgery. She decided that an anal dilation was unacceptable as my only surgery and got me on a jaw reconstruction case, which was nice. But she didn't really ask. So i had to wait until 6 for the surgery to start. Lucky for me, I decided to take an hour nap because we weren't done with the surgery until 9. The surgery was cool, but we were just wiring his jaw shut, it was a maxilofacial surgeon who works at night, so he usually doesn't have students or residents. He was thrilled to have me. He was pushing for me to stay for the next surgery and kept throwing phrases like "see one, do one." and "if you stay I'll let you do this surgery." It was hard to say no, but remember I got to the hospital at 5am. I still haven't eaten lunch or dinner (now i'm not hungry). Plus I have a tracheostomy tomorrow that I have to research and a two handed tie that my school never bothered to actually teach me. So I did the thing all the books and advice people tell you not to, I said no. I have to go home. Lesson three of surgery: go home when you get the chance, no questions asked.
I just hope that won't come back to bite me later.
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