almost fainted during my first surgery today...

[marycatherine]

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The title basically explains it all. (Sorry I copied some of this from my blog, tried to make it as coherent as possible.)

Today I was allowed to leave early, but as I was leaving I noticed our lead vet prepping for surgery and asked if I could watch as I'd never seen one before. He said yes, but had me scrub in and actually HELP with the surgery!!



It was a front leg fracture on a cat. I held the radius while he made sure everything was lined up correctly and he screwed the pins/plate into place. …And then I started feeling woozy. I fought it, but when I'm going to faint, I know it, and I had to sit down. Doc had me keep my hands in the air (I was sterile and we didn't want me picking anything up so I could continue with the surgery.) …but then I thought I'd throw up, so I ended up laying on the bathroom floor for a few moments. Oops.


When I came back there was another tech helping and I apologized and my vet laughed at me and said he completely fainted during his first spay observance– and couldn't watch another spay for a long time after. The tech told me she had to walk out during her first surgery, too.


I'm hypoglycemic and my blood sugar has been crazy for the rest of the day. I think I'm going to have to change some eating habits to make surgeries work, but it's so worth it! Being right there in the middle of the action, even just a simple broken arm, made me really excited to keep learning.


Has anyone else done anything similar? I'm not super worried, everyone was really supportive but there's a teeny voice at the back of my head that is like "OH NO WHAT IF I THROW UP EVERYTIME?"

 

[HopefulAg]

I just had to learn that I needed to eat before surgery (lest I feel faint). But people faint for a lot less. Was doing SQ liquids on a dog once and another tech was holding for me. Looking down at the patient, I got the needle in fine and then suddenly the dog's standing up and I'm having to restrain it down. Second later I hear a thump and look up to see my partner is no longer there.

So ah, yah. Almost fainting from holding a radius? Not a big deal. You'll get used to it.

 

[lalzi22]

I have probably seen 200-300 surgeries, and two days ago I fainted during a tail reconstructive surgery (ie, a rat had the tip of its tail bitten off and we had to fix it up). I was holding the tail and I just went DOWN. Really embarrassing. When I woke up my vet was laughing at me saying she passed out when she saw her first surgery after being admitted to vet school and having that moment of "oh crap, I actually have to do this one day". It happens. Just try not to psyche yourself out during the next one.

 

[variegata]

It really does help to eat beforehand. Even if you're used to surgery, having something in your stomach helps you stay alert in there during long procedures!

 

[sumstorm]

Eat, stay hydrated, maintain good posture, and do not lock your knees. You did the right thing by not trying to fight it; you risk injuring yourself or others if you go down suddenly.

 

[luplodw]

It gets WAYYYY worse when you have to wear those stupid masks. It makes you breathe in hot air and gets rough

 

[organismal]

Has anyone else done anything similar? I'm not super worried, everyone was really supportive but there's a teeny voice at the back of my head that is like "OH NO WHAT IF I THROW UP EVERYTIME?"

This is how I've been feeling a little lately, although I've been trying to beat it down! I was okay seeing a few spays and neuthers on puppies/one large dog but started getting a little woozy at some other surgery and even just an organ sitting on a table. But it seems that a ton of people have gotten lightheaded or even passed out at surgery at one point or another, so I just tell myself I'll get over it when I see enough, learn to dissociate, eat a lot and all that kind of good stuff. 🙂 I think for me it's been particularly bad lately because my new year's resolution was to eat healthier, which means cutting down my "breakfast-snack-lunch-snack-snack-dinner-dessert-midnight dinner" routine down to a more reasonable "breakfast-lunch-snack-dinner-dessert". But maybe I needed all that junk to function 😕 The two incidents were I started feeling woozy were both this year, after I started cutting down. Guess we'll both have to start packing on the candy bars. 😛

 

[marycatherine]

It gets WAYYYY worse when you have to wear those stupid masks. It makes you breathe in hot air and gets rough

I had the mask on! I think it was a combo of the new experience and not having much for breakfast. thanks everyone for the encouragement (or just telling me we've all been there.) I felt bad because everyone in the office was doting on me, but as soon as I drank some water and had a snack I was fine!

 

[galen13]

I almost fainted watching a dog neuter... it was my first one, but I've watched a bunch of spays and even a 5 pound tumor removal. I probably should have ate lunch before hand. I had to leave under the pretense of "going back to work." I felt dumb but I didn't faint

 

[Vet Engineer]

When I woke up my vet was laughing at me saying she passed out when she saw her first surgery after being admitted to vet school and having that moment of "oh crap, I actually have to do this one day". It happens. Just try not to psyche yourself out during the next one.

I almost did this too! A few weeks after I found out I got into vet school, I helped with a cystotomy and felt like I was going to pass out. I was so embarrassed. I had to help another doctor with an FHO and a couple more laparotomies before I stopped psyching myself out.

 

[August24]

I feel like I'm in the minority. No matter how gruesome the sugery, or when it starts to smell like blood, or guts on the table or whatever, I've NEVER (knock on wood) felt faint. Maybe, once the coolness wears off, I'll feel faint but every surgery, be it a cat neuter or an exploratory, so far, has been too interesting for me to feel weak. I have seen close to 1000 surgeries and just haven't had it hit me yet, even if I'm assisting.

Exception was one time, doing a PDA, I had been sick for a week and found out, literally hours later, that I had mono+sinus infection+ear infection+possible strep throat at the same time. But I had been feeling the same ill for days anyway.

I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but I get really in to the surgery when I watch-making a tally of sorts of every move the doctor makes, the tools, and ask a lot of questions if possible. Being engaged is distracting.

Blood and guts don't get me. Broken bones and the scraping feeling of them do a little.

 

[marycatherine]

I feel like I'm in the minority. No matter how gruesome the sugery, or when it starts to smell like blood, or guts on the table or whatever, I've NEVER (knock on wood) felt faint. Maybe, once the coolness wears off, I'll feel faint but every surgery, be it a cat neuter or an exploratory, so far, has been too interesting for me to feel weak. I have seen close to 1000 surgeries and just haven't had it hit me yet, even if I'm assisting.

Exception was one time, doing a PDA, I had been sick for a week and found out, literally hours later, that I had mono+sinus infection+ear infection+possible strep throat at the same time. But I had been feeling the same ill for days anyway.

I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but I get really in to the surgery when I watch-making a tally of sorts of every move the doctor makes, the tools, and ask a lot of questions if possible. Being engaged is distracting.

Blood and guts don't get me. Broken bones and the scraping feeling of them do a little.

See I love watching surgeries and learning everything, and it was SO COOL to have my hands right in there on the action. I've never fainted from standing for too long or locking my knees or anything, and the only time I've fainted from hypoglycemia was about five years ago. I have no idea what happened, it was so weird! And I stood for a really long time watching a dental exam/tooth extraction last week because teeth are what squick me out. I thought if anything would have happened to me it would have happened during the dental, but oh well.

 

[DrFrekels]

Eat, stay hydrated, maintain good posture, and do not lock your knees. You did the right thing by not trying to fight it; you risk injuring yourself or others if you go down suddenly.

I agree with these tips. Don't feel bad (you are not alone) and DON'T think it means you're not cut out to be a DVM. I remember the first time I observed a surgery, it was a standard OVH. The doctor said to tell him if I was going to faint, and I recall saying to myself, "Who faints?! That's crazy talk!" 😎

After working in the field for several years I had never had that experience, until one fateful day. The first quarter of the surgery went well, it was a routine exploratory. Everyone in the surgical suite was enjoying themselves, talking and learning, and everything was fine. Next thing I know I feel my body temperature rising and the sweat start to bead up on my skin. I felt the trickle of sweat down my torso and leg, and then I began to get a bit nauseous. I was trying to fight back the nausea, thinking it was because I took my bc pill that morning. Then, the room began to fade out and all sound started to go mute. I looked up at the doctor and said very calmly, "I think I am going to scrub out now." LOL. The doctor totally knew what was going on and told me to hit the floor before I fainted. I felt so defeated and embarrassed. I also began second guessing myself, I was really worried.

After drinking tons of ice water, eating a handful of whatever I could find (food), and sitting on the tile floor with AC, I finally felt better. People said my face was green! I learned the hard way that you MUST eat before surgery! I also learned that even the most experienced technicians and doctors on staff ALL had similar experiences. Even though I am over that "almost-fainting" episode, it still helps to hear that there are more of us out there. 😀

So as I said before, I agree with sumstorm's advice:
Eat, stay hydrated, maintain good posture, and do not lock your knees. You did the right thing by not trying to fight it; you risk injuring yourself or others if you go down suddenly.

Good luck!

 

[marycatherine]

After drinking tons of ice water, eating a handful of whatever I could find (food), and sitting on the tile floor with AC, I finally felt better. People said my face was green! I learned the hard way that you MUST eat before surgery! I also learned that even the most experienced technicians and doctors on staff ALL had similar experiences. Even though I am over that "almost-fainting" episode, it still helps to hear that there are more of us out there. 😀

Haha I laid down on the floor of the bathroom! Then grabbed some gummy snacks and a water bottle and made it back to watch him suture the cut. I wish I could have just laid down on the floor in the surgery room (and might try that if it happens again) so I could have at least kept my gloves sterile. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and I looked awful, never seen myself so pale!

 

[DrFrekels]

Haha I laid down on the floor of the bathroom! Then grabbed some gummy snacks and a water bottle and made it back to watch him suture the cut. I wish I could have just laid down on the floor in the surgery room (and might try that if it happens again) so I could have at least kept my gloves sterile. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and I looked awful, never seen myself so pale!

LOL. After scrubbing out I hit the floor in the bathroom, too. That's where I recovered myself with snacks and such.. yumm-eh. 😛

 

[david594]

Haha I laid down on the floor of the bathroom! Then grabbed some gummy snacks and a water bottle and made it back to watch him suture the cut. I wish I could have just laid down on the floor in the surgery room (and might try that if it happens again) so I could have at least kept my gloves sterile. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and I looked awful, never seen myself so pale!

If your laying on the floor your no longer considered sterile. You not supposed to let your hands go below the level of the surgery field.

 

[BlacKAT33]

i hate the masks!! not being able to take big cool breaths of air always makes me feel like im suffocating, and then i get nervous, and then the cycle of "ocrap calm down relaxxx dont faint" starts. I actually started to wear a mask all day when i worked in lab. It really does help because you get used to breathing in it and i felt more calm during surgeries then.

also, i eat right before. always have a ton of granola bars in hand and try to get 2 of them in my stomach before hand.

but i think most people go through this so dont worry 😀 if the mask bothers u i would seriously try wearing it for long periods of time in your normal activities. it may sound/look stupid but it really helps. maybe take one home with you and wear it around your house haha

 

[StartingoverVet]

Not sure if this will work but I throw it out there anyway... .

While doing aerobatics was taught to "hold" your blood in your abdomen by kind of using squeezing pressure. This was to avoid getting light-headed and passing out. Now, it is not exactly the same when you see something disturbing but I am pretty sure if you try the technique it will stop you from fainting. Plus it gives you something to think about doing. A lot of times feeling in control of a situation does a lot to help you. It's not foolproof, but it does work (alternatively you can wear flight suit into surgery),

Though I had a little "grey-out" (that's when you see the stars they always used to show in cartoons) a few times when doing maneuvers, I was always able to stay conscious!

By the way, I originally gave up on the idea of vet med as a youngster because I was so queasy about the sight of blood. Took me 20 or 30 years to realize it wasn't a problem anymore!

 

[marycatherine]

If your laying on the floor your no longer considered sterile. You not supposed to let your hands go below the level of the surgery field.

I didn't know this! Thanks for clarifying.

 

[zeebra44]

I was a student observer in a research facility, and I had to watch a surgical operation on a pig. Well, the pig started going into cardiac arrest on the operating table and a defibrillator had to be used. I was 15, new to this idea of wanting to be a veterinarian and ran from the operating room to go lay down in the changing room..I felt like I was going to die. Once I got that over with though, I've been fine ever since. I just make sure to eat something before I observe surgeries.

 

[mhlaur]

I've had two almost fainting experiences. I also did not have enough food in me since it was just before lunch. First one, was watching a dental specialist describe in great detail while grinding ligaments off the molars of a shephard. The sound was bad, but the part the made me queasy was the thought of how painful that would be to wake from. Second time, was when I got bit through the thumb nail by a cat. Neither of these were visual sight of blood situations for me.

 

[CanadianGolden]

The syndrome of feeling faint while watching actually has a name. It's much easier when you're the one doing the surgery. You can't think too hard because you're concentrating on doing it right, so it's harder to get freaked out about looking at the inside of an animal. You're too busy worrying about finding this, ligating that, etc.

 

[chris03333]

This is how I've been feeling a little lately, although I've been trying to beat it down! I was okay seeing a few spays and neuthers on puppies/one large dog but started getting a little woozy at some other surgery and even just an organ sitting on a table. But it seems that a ton of people have gotten lightheaded or even passed out at surgery at one point or another, so I just tell myself I'll get over it when I see enough, learn to dissociate, eat a lot and all that kind of good stuff. 🙂 I think for me it's been particularly bad lately because my new year's resolution was to eat healthier, which means cutting down my "breakfast-snack-lunch-snack-snack-dinner-dessert-midnight dinner" routine down to a more reasonable "breakfast-lunch-snack-dinner-dessert". But maybe I needed all that junk to function 😕 The two incidents were I started feeling woozy were both this year, after I started cutting down. Guess we'll both have to start packing on the candy bars. 😛

Protein before surgery is a great thing. Make sure you are not locking any of your joints (fingers, knees, ankles, neck are all very common), shift positions regularly, and for goodness sake don't get your nose close to anything that makes you feel faint (blood, poo, intestinal contents)..and say something as soon as there may be a problem.

 

[DVMDream]

The only time I felt faint was when holding a lhasa apso for the vet to clean a wound and rebandage the wound. I was under the overhead surgery lights and as she was scraping the wound with the scalpel the sound and heat started to get to me. I turned away so I was not looking at what she was doing, but I could still hear it so it did not help. I started to get sweaty and really hot, then came the graying out, followed by the everything sounds like I am under water. So, I excused myself, went and got the other tech and then sat down. The other tech was worried because she said I was whiter than the walls and I had worked with this tech for around a year so she knew that I normally do not get sick like that. After about 5 minutes I was perfectly fine. I just needed something to eat and drink. So, always be sure you are hydrated and have some food in your stomach (bananas are great if you are getting the faint feeling), but keeping food in your stomach should hopefully prevent you from feeling faint to begin with. Also, asking questions and getting yourself more involved with what the vet is doing can help distract you from the actually sight of blood/guts. Or just talking about anything can keep you distracted from what is actually going on.

 

[EnvyPointers]

I absolutely hate that "I'm going to faint" feeling! I'm a Certified Surgical Tech (for people!) and have seen/assisted with what seems like a billion surgeries. I still occasionally get that feeling.

The good news is that it does get better with time. I knew I had "made it" when we were once doing a colon resection and I was thinking about what was for lunch.

 

[cowgirla]

I knew I had "made it" when we were once doing a colon resection and I was thinking about what was for lunch.

Mmmm, sausage...

 

[heylodeb]

you guys are freaking me out, haha! I've never felt woozy during surgery but now I'm thinking I might just have some random attack of it one day... Oh well - maybe it's some sort of "hazing" for prevets! 😳)

 

[scb44f]

you guys are freaking me out, haha! I've never felt woozy during surgery but now I'm thinking I might just have some random attack of it one day... Oh well - maybe it's some sort of "hazing" for prevets! 😳)

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. It probably helps that I'm one of those people who prefers small meals closer together, and that ever since elementary school when I saw a girl faint during a program practice, I've paid close attention to not locking my knees.

I also agree that distracting yourself could help too. I was a bit wary at first because I wasn't sure how I'd do with blood and "guts", but once I got into the surgery room and everyone started talking about random things, I felt a lot better about it.

 

[StartingoverVet]

you guys are freaking me out, haha! I've never felt woozy during surgery but now I'm thinking I might just have some random attack of it one day... Oh well - maybe it's some sort of "hazing" for prevets! 😳)

Surgery has never bothered me.
Necropsies on the other hand.... the smell is just horrific. Food does not smell so nice on the inside!

 

[twelvetigers]

I was in marching band and we would mass for awards ceremonies... nearly an hour standing at attention, full uniform and shako, with hands clasped behind your back? Under stadium lights? Yeah. Never lock your knees!

 

[DVMDream]

I was in marching band and we would mass for awards ceremonies... nearly an hour standing at attention, full uniform and shako, with hands clasped behind your back? Under stadium lights? Yeah. Never lock your knees!

I remember soo many people fainting during band camp back in high school. You could see it happening too. We would often stand in a circle at attention and the practice in a circle standing perfectly still and upright and then out of the corner of my eye I could see someone's knees lock and then bam straight to the floor! We were told many, many time to not lock your knees. I ended up not staying in the marching band though because the band director was an *******; I miss playing my clarinet and I really did like the bass clarinet as well. 😳

 

[scb44f]

I remember soo many people fainting during band camp back in high school. You could see it happening too. We would often stand in a circle at attention and the practice in a circle standing perfectly still and upright and then out of the corner of my eye I could see someone's knees lock and then bam straight to the floor! We were told many, many time to not lock your knees. I ended up not staying in the marching band though because the band director was an *******; I miss playing my clarinet and I really did like the bass clarinet as well. 😳

We didn't have much of a problem with it. It would've been hard to lock my knees though... whoo sousaphones! 😛

 

[DVMDream]

We didn't have much of a problem with it. It would've been hard to lock my knees though... whoo sousaphones! 😛

Lol...our band camp was in the middle of July in Arizona. Get a few people outside marching in 115 degree weather for a couple of hours at a time and you will get quite a few people to faint. We had at least one person faint per day.

 

[scb44f]

Lol...our band camp was in the middle of July in Arizona. Get a few people outside marching in 115 degree weather for a couple of hours at a time and you will get quite a few people to faint. We had at least one person faint per day.

Yikes... Yeah, it wasn't until my last year marching when we had all-day things. Before that, it was just 2 or 3 hours in the evenings. It was also my last year that they changed band from first block to third block, so I guess we really didn't have it so bad until the last year I was in it (when I played baritone instead ironically).