crazy day in the OR~

[PoorMD]

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man, today I was shadowing an orthopedic surgeon; we read about 15-20 MRIs then consulted for 5 or so mins, lasted like an hour. Then he gets paiged to OR for something, he hands me some scrubs, and we head into the OR on the 5th floor and i watched essentially a laminectomy on this quadrapallegic girl, had her thoracic vertebra crushed and they put plates at the cut pedicle stubs.
I noticed the anesthesioligist had let the patients BP drop to 73/36 and I asked him if that was high enough perfusion Pressure and he looks at me, injects a alpha agonist (i forget the specific name) to constrict vasculature and gets a 96/75 steady. Kind of funny a first year med could make adjustments in the OR.
the rest was a uneventful but interesting. im definately considering surgergy, maybe general surg.
Was quite interesting so I thought I would share.
PoorMD

 

[Blake]

Looks like everything went well for you. I'm sure the anesthesiologist would have noticed the BP a few seconds later though.

 

[BaylorGuy]

man, today I was shadowing an orthopedic surgeon; we read about 15-20 MRIs then consulted for 5 or so mins, lasted like an hour. Then he gets paiged to OR for something, he hands me some scrubs, and we head into the OR on the 5th floor and i watched essentially a laminectomy on this quadrapallegic girl, had her thoracic vertebra crushed and they put plates at the cut pedicle stubs.
I noticed the anesthesioligist had let the patients BP drop to 73/36 and I asked him if that was high enough perfusion Pressure and he looks at me, injects a alpha agonist (i forget the specific name) to constrict vasculature and gets a 96/75 steady. Kind of funny a first year med could make adjustments in the OR.
the rest was a uneventful but interesting. im definately considering surgergy, maybe general surg.
Was quite interesting so I thought I would share.
PoorMD

Congrats man...I remember a couple of days shadowing in the OR, where there have definitely been a couple of really bad wrecks. Nothing like a couple of orthopods staying in an OR for hours on end.

 

[PoorMD]

Looks like everything went well for you. I'm sure the anesthesiologist would have noticed the BP a few seconds later though.

If you feel comfortable in the OR, should you definately pursue surgery? It seems like that is my main goal right now. Ortho would be the ideal but general surg is my goal.

 

[Blake]

If you feel comfortable in the OR, should you definately pursue surgery? It seems like that is my main goal right now. Ortho would be the ideal but general surg is my goal.

Well, it's certainly a good sign (you don't hate surgery). Clinical rotations will definitely answer your question, but I think the more you shadow, the more you get a fair idea of what the specialty entails.

 

[PoorMD]

Well, it's certainly a good sign (you don't hate surgery). Clinical rotations will definitely answer your question, but I think the more you shadow, the more you get a fair idea of what the specialty entails.

I think the keys are doing well in anatomy (which Im taking right now) and possibly honoring the Surg rotation. This summer I may be doing some research (waiting to hear back from the program), hopefully in the surg dept. That would be key, as I find myself considering all other topics "boring biochemistry." I kind of find myself gravitating to the mechanical workings of the body, far less interested in psychiatric problems, totally uninterested in your typical bout of flu... I don't want to prescribe z-pack a hundred times a day. .. seems ortho or general surg are where I need to focus, but sadly so many others who are more dedicated have the same thoughts.. =[

 

[Skialta]

"but sadly so many others who are more dedicated have the same thoughts.. =["

Don't worry about 3/4 of those people interested in pursuing surgery will fall by the wayside after they do their surgery clerkship. Going to the OR a couple of times to shadow does not really tell you what the lifestyle or what the residency is like. Surgery rocks, but it comes at a price. There is a huge difference between gen surg and ortho.

 

[deuist]

There is a huge difference between gen surg and ortho.

Also, getting into residency with general surgery is much easier when compared to ortho.

 

[Blake]

I had a crazy day in the OR too, but everything went well in the end (AVM rupture + 2 intracranial kyst cases + spinal decompression). Scrubbing just feels right, and I don't think I'll see something more spectacular than vascular clipping under the microscope ! 😀 Can't wait for 3rd year elective rotations !

Speaking of lifestyle, the surgeons (mainly neurosurgeons since I've spent more time with them) here think they've got it pretty good, and actually, they have it pretty good from what I've seen (I shadowed a LOT and not just in the OR, so I can't be that off). Then again, I enjoy medical school so far and am totally satisfied with my lifestyle, so don't listen to me.