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Hi! I'm a 2nd year med student and I don't really know what I'm going to do in the future, so right now I'm just trying different things and I'm really enjoying surgery. However, I'm afraid I might not be suitable for it due to my problem with fainting. In my free time I got involved with one of our university's surgical research groups. It's really great, I learn a lot from it, I love reading about medical conditions and surgical techniques, the doctors share their knowledge and let us participate in their research. And I get a chance to be in the operating theater just about whenever I want to and assist during operations. I love being in the operating room, I'm always excited to scrub in and see different cases up close, and listening to the surgeon when he describes different aspects and techniques does help in understanding the things you read in books. I'm not grossed out by the sight, sound, feel nor the smell of blood, burnt flesh or intestinal contents. I'm never hesitant to stick my hand wherever the operator needs me to, clip a vessel shooting blood like a fountain or stitch up some skin. Those things never bothered me.
But I sometimes have a problem with feeling light-headed while in the operating room. The first time it happened, I wasn't even scrubbed in (luckily), I was just observing a liver transplantation. I wanted to see as much as I could, so I kept standing on my toes on top of that little platform that lets you see over the surgeon's shoulder. It was like the third time I was present during the surgery, and the first time I wasn't assisting. About 3 hours into the surgery, I started feeling hot and sweating, then I got a little light-headed. I thought it'd pass if I took a few steps around the room, but it got worse. It was too hot, I couldn't breathe even though I took off my mask, the lights were too bright and I couldn't hear anything. It felt like all of the blood had escaped from my head. I sat down on a stool and lowered my head but it didn't help and I lost consciousness for a second or two, and the next thing I was on the floor and the anesthesiologist was by my side, asking if I was alright. The whole thing lasted about 2 minutes and I can't think of anything that might have triggered it. I've never been more embarrassed in my life. I promised myself that I would prepare better before operations, eat, sleep and drink more.
After that, I was at a few shorter surgeries and everything was fine. I was happy it must've been a one-time accident due to dehydration. But yesterday it happened again. I was assisting during a particularly messy surgery. Every now and then an artery would burst open, the surgeon got in a fight with the nurse, the large intestine got punctured, **** was leaking everywhere, we had to change scrubs like 3 times in 3 hours, and on top of that the bottle in the suction machine literally exploded, it was exciting to say the least. But I never felt grossed out by any of that. But about 4 hours into, when the surgeon has already started closing the wound, I felt extremely hot again. I was sweating and I knew what it meant. I tried to fight it but it wouldn't go away. So I asked the other student, who was observing, to scrub in and step in instead of me. But I couldn't stand there long enough for him to come back, I didn't want to risk fainting in the field so I told the doctors I was starting to feel unwell so they told me to step back and lie down, which I did. It made me feel better in a minute but there was no way I could come back to assist after that, so I just sat there watching the rest of the surgery, feeling ashamed. It was strange because when all the gross things were happening, I felt good, but when the surgery was just about to end and nothing was happening, it was all clean and calm, my body betrayed me.
I'm starting to think it might have something to do with me being physically too weak to stand still for this period of time or that I might have some circulation problems. I'm thinking about going to the doctor and joining gym. But I'm afraid I'll never get over it and that I'm just not suitable for the operating room. I'm afraid I'll be forced to stop going to surgeries, which I really enjoy. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to become a surgeon even if I wanted to and my grades allowed it just because of this stupid fanting.
What should I do? Sorry for the long post, but it's really bothering me right now and I can't stop thinking about it.
But I sometimes have a problem with feeling light-headed while in the operating room. The first time it happened, I wasn't even scrubbed in (luckily), I was just observing a liver transplantation. I wanted to see as much as I could, so I kept standing on my toes on top of that little platform that lets you see over the surgeon's shoulder. It was like the third time I was present during the surgery, and the first time I wasn't assisting. About 3 hours into the surgery, I started feeling hot and sweating, then I got a little light-headed. I thought it'd pass if I took a few steps around the room, but it got worse. It was too hot, I couldn't breathe even though I took off my mask, the lights were too bright and I couldn't hear anything. It felt like all of the blood had escaped from my head. I sat down on a stool and lowered my head but it didn't help and I lost consciousness for a second or two, and the next thing I was on the floor and the anesthesiologist was by my side, asking if I was alright. The whole thing lasted about 2 minutes and I can't think of anything that might have triggered it. I've never been more embarrassed in my life. I promised myself that I would prepare better before operations, eat, sleep and drink more.
After that, I was at a few shorter surgeries and everything was fine. I was happy it must've been a one-time accident due to dehydration. But yesterday it happened again. I was assisting during a particularly messy surgery. Every now and then an artery would burst open, the surgeon got in a fight with the nurse, the large intestine got punctured, **** was leaking everywhere, we had to change scrubs like 3 times in 3 hours, and on top of that the bottle in the suction machine literally exploded, it was exciting to say the least. But I never felt grossed out by any of that. But about 4 hours into, when the surgeon has already started closing the wound, I felt extremely hot again. I was sweating and I knew what it meant. I tried to fight it but it wouldn't go away. So I asked the other student, who was observing, to scrub in and step in instead of me. But I couldn't stand there long enough for him to come back, I didn't want to risk fainting in the field so I told the doctors I was starting to feel unwell so they told me to step back and lie down, which I did. It made me feel better in a minute but there was no way I could come back to assist after that, so I just sat there watching the rest of the surgery, feeling ashamed. It was strange because when all the gross things were happening, I felt good, but when the surgery was just about to end and nothing was happening, it was all clean and calm, my body betrayed me.
I'm starting to think it might have something to do with me being physically too weak to stand still for this period of time or that I might have some circulation problems. I'm thinking about going to the doctor and joining gym. But I'm afraid I'll never get over it and that I'm just not suitable for the operating room. I'm afraid I'll be forced to stop going to surgeries, which I really enjoy. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to become a surgeon even if I wanted to and my grades allowed it just because of this stupid fanting.
What should I do? Sorry for the long post, but it's really bothering me right now and I can't stop thinking about it.
