Most Rewarding Anesthetic

[Monty Python]

A thread of a slightly different nature, specifically what is your recollection of your most rewarding anesthetic (by whatever definition or criteria you wish to use).

Mine: a few years ago I was doing a day of make-up Navy reserve drill by passing gas at the local VA hospital. There the pts are brought to the OR hallway, immediately outside their particular OR, before anesthesia sees them. I had just cleaned up the machine from the previous case, and stepped into the hall to pre-op the pt and start the IV.

My pt was a thin, 80-ish African American, with a steady lock-on gaze and a definte air of polite self-confidence. The only military history indicated in his VA medical record was that he was a retired Air Force colonel.

The pt was there for a lap chole, and immediately after I started his IV the circulator informed me there would be a 30 minute room delay. I started to make small talk with the pt and found out, lo and behold, I was talking with one of the few remaining Tuskeegee Airmen fighter pilots.

Introducing myself to him as a novice pilot, I got him to go back in time and recount his days in World War 2. Within a few minutes our conversation had him in the skies over Germany in his P-51 Mustang, escorting our B-17s and fighting off attacking Luftwaffe fighters. His eyes lit up as he described dogfights with German pilots, and his squadron's record of not losing a single bomber they escorted to enemy fighters.

His lap chole was an easy uneventful anesthetic. What was memorable for me was the honor and privilege of caring for this true American hero.

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[jetproppilot]

A thread of a slightly different nature, specifically what is your recollection of your most rewarding anesthetic (by whatever definition or criteria you wish to use).

Mine: a few years ago I was doing a day of make-up Navy reserve drill by passing gas at the local VA hospital. There the pts are brought to the OR hallway, immediately outside their particular OR, before anesthesia sees them. I had just cleaned up the machine from the previous case, and stepped into the hall to pre-op the pt and start the IV.

My pt was a thin, 80-ish African American, with a steady lock-on gaze and a definte air of polite self-confidence. The only military history indicated in his VA medical record was that he was a retired Air Force colonel.

The pt was there for a lap chole, and immediately after I started his IV the circulator informed me there would be a 30 minute room delay. I started to make small talk with the pt and found out, lo and behold, I was talking with one of the few remaining Tuskeegee Airmen fighter pilots.

Introducing myself to him as a novice pilot, I got him to go back in time and recount his days in World War 2. Within a few minutes our conversation had him in the skies over Germany in his P-51 Mustang, escorting our B-17s and fighting off attacking Luftwaffe fighters. His eyes lit up as he described dogfights with German pilots, and his squadron's record of not losing a single bomber they escorted to enemy fighters.

His lap chole was an easy uneventful anesthetic. What was memorable for me was the honor and privilege of caring for this true American hero.

Nice, nice thread, Trinity. Here's my most memorable anesthetic:

St Rita's Catholic Church in #$%@!ndria, Louisiana, had a cool music group during mass...4 people bringing God's word to a higher level through their music.

I arrived at work one AM at 0615, and as usual, peeped into the holding area before going to Day Surgery to see all the pre-ops.

In the heart-bay was the Lead-Dude of the St Rita's music group.

I ws like, WTF ? "Gary" was 47 years old, with a wife, 2 kids, good job, sang (lead) in the local church group. Unfortunately his genetics, despite his healthy lifestyle, gave him high LDL, and low HDL, among other I'm-Gonna-Have-An-MI characteristics.

I go into holding, he recognizes me, and I tell him we're gonna take VERY good care of him. Sedate him (PRECEDEX!!!!), A-line, R-IJ, 14" AC. To OR #1.

Dr Knoepp (Trinity knows him) does the CABG, radial artery harvest of a HUGE artery, along with a LIMA, dude comes off pump, no problems.

We extubate him on the OR table and transfer him to the ICU without incident. (He left the ICU the next day, and was home on the fourth day.)

I go to the family waiting area and tell the nice volunteer lady to put Dude's family into the conference room.

As one of our CRNA's, P Greer, who did an awesome job, was transferring the non-intubated CABG dude to the stretcher, in-bound to the ICU, I was meeting with his wife and kids.

I walked into the conference room. I recognized their faces from all the 11 AM Sunday masses we had collectively attended. They were looking at me with attentive eyes.

"We're done! He's fine. We're in the process of moving him to the ICU."

"Gary's Wife" "I can't thank you for saving my husband's life!"

"Gary's" Daughter, with tears in her eyes: Thank you! Thank you!

It is hard to put this situation into words. Heres a Dude who had contributed to my religious belief with his faith and music. And I was chosen by fate to be the dude to guide him through a complex surgery.

I've been fortunate enough to witness God's work in the OR.

There are a couple cases I could post that would make an atheist think twice.

And, believe me, this post is coming from a Doubting Thomas.

I am no Bible-Pusher.

"Gary's" CABG, extubation on the OR table, hasty discharge from the hospital, and continuing quality of life, is one of the highlights of my career.

 

[Gimlet]

Bump...to hear more stories like this. The board has been feelin' a little malignant lately and this is a little bit lighter of a topic.

By the way, I just donated to be an SDN Angel and damn it feels good...kinda like flyin' first class or...or...something else where you feel really priveledged. I would recommend it, and if everyone who posts regularly would join, maybe Lee could afford a bigger, badder server! Well worth the price of all the entertainment it has provided.

 

[militarymd]

My most memorable patients were ones I had in the ICU on the Comfort 2 years ago.

I had multiple patients who were innocent bystanders of the war....burn victims, gunshot would victims, blunt trauma victims who had multiple organ damage and on ventilator support.

I did my best to take care of them before I was sent off the Comfort. I suspect many of them are no longer with us.

I only hope that some of my interventions have brought some of them through their tragedy so that they can live a better life in the Iraq that we are helping them build.