Wednesday 1 April 2015

APPENDECTOMY ALMOST GONE WRONG

Day 1 of the blogging challenge and I a set and good to go.

It was way past the time for my close of work and the theatre was calling for extra hands to help clear the backlog of patients in need of surgery. There was to be an appendectomy and a herniorrhaphy going on simultaneously. I was bone weary, had just finished writing a test I was ill-prepared for and all I wanted in that moment was a cold bath (well, not really a cold bath, maybe tepid bath, as I rarely bath with cold water no matter how hot it is) and a hot meal in that order. Anyway, I had to mentally reboot my system and head towards the theatre, afterall, it was for my own good training. 

Finally, in the theatre and a junior resident tells me, he would perform the surgery while I assist him. Stubborn as always, I said NO! (I mean, I didn’t stay back for a surgery only to be the assistant. I’d rather take my leave). The banter of who would take the case went on and on until I told him that I was his “chief” and that there was no way I’d assist him, then he relented and decided that he would assist our senior colleague in the herniorrhaphy while another doctor assisted me in the appendectomy.


Seven minutes into the surgery, I had located the appendix, then, I ran into problems. The dear structure was held down by adhesion tissues and I had no idea how to get around it. I have never operated on any appendicitis of that nature. I began to sweat seriously. The fact that the air-conditioning in the theatre wasn’t so good didn’t help my state much. I called for help from my senior colleague in the second operating room. He came in and told me what to do. I took the advice (like I had any other choice, lol) and all worked out well at the end. One little problem though, the junior resident that I “chiefed” out of the procedure didn’t let me breathe about it. He just kept laughing at me. Like GMB though, I would never give up no matter the obstacles that I face. 

Thanks 

6 comments:

  1. Dear Dr. Keren, I'm sure that your patient appreciates your persistence. It always overcomes in the end.Ty for sharing.

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    1. Yea, guessing that he would. You won't believe he has been having the pain for a year, was told to come in for surgery but he declined till a year later. The appendix was on it's way to becoming an appendix mass.

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  2. those adhesions will get you every time

    betty

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    1. Yep, everytime, especially if the person has had previous surgeries orcwaited to long for the inflammatory process to build like this guy.

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  3. Lol!! Thank God you insisted, now u have learnt something new. More of a chief dan u were before!!!

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