My first surgery

[bobbyseal]

Hey all,

I just thought I'd post to you guys about my first actual surgery in which I can really say that I did the majority and could claim as primary surgeon.

It was an open hernia. The patient was kind of an ass when I met him and had this air of importance. In fact he asked why the hospital wasn't among the top 50 in the magazine he was reading.

Anyway, once the patient was out, we (the staff, crna, and I) commented that the pt was kind of a jerk.

Once we prepped and draped, the surgeon used a marking pen, and had me make the incision after putting in local. The case went well. We repaired his indirect hernia with a mesh/plug combo. Anyway, it was a good experience. I know someday, hernia repairs will be boring. But for an intern who's been desperate to get in there to do some operating, it was a lot of fun.

Any other interns out there got any firs case stories?

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[forbin]

The patient was kind of an ass when I met him and had this air of importance. In fact he asked why the hospital wasn't among the top 50 in the magazine he was reading.

You should have told him it was because of your hospital's high mortality rate for hernia repairs.

 

[bobbyseal]

You should have told him it was because of your hospital's high mortality rate for hernia repairs.

That's hilarious

 

[Blade28]

Good stuff!

 

[Heeed!]

You should have told him it was because of your hospital's high mortality rate for hernia repairs.

LMAO!!!

 

[Chris's patient]

Hey all,

I just thought I'd post to you guys about my first actual surgery in which I can really say that I did the majority and could claim as primary surgeon.

It was an open hernia. The patient was kind of an ass when I met him and had this air of importance. In fact he asked why the hospital wasn't among the top 50 in the magazine he was reading.

Anyway, once the patient was out, we (the staff, crna, and I) commented that the pt was kind of a jerk.

Once we prepped and draped, the surgeon used a marking pen, and had me make the incision after putting in local. The case went well. We repaired his indirect hernia with a mesh/plug combo. Anyway, it was a good experience. I know someday, hernia repairs will be boring. But for an intern who's been desperate to get in there to do some operating, it was a lot of fun.

Any other interns out there got any firs case stories?

Liver transplant - did it about 45 mins - skin to skin. I hope I get faster as residency progresses

 

[cooldreams]

You should have told him it was because of your hospital's high mortality rate for hernia repairs.

haha!

hey just by chance... could a patient sue for u saying that... like maybe undue stress or something? how bad is sueing getting?? is it really bad for residents??? that is something im kind of worried about... go through all this schooling then perhaps last year of a long residency and i get sued and potentially lose my licence or my wallet or both.......

 

[SteadyEddy]

I too had my first case last month (hemorrhoid removal). My attending...who happens to be the program director goes..."I'm going to do one on this side, and then it's your turn". 30 seconds later, he hands me the scalpel...okay your turn. I fumbled around for the first few minutes, but finally got things going. It was exhilirating! I must admit though that I've enjoyed the SICU quite a bit as well. I nearly popped one when I got my first IJ cvc. Take care all.

Hey all,

I just thought I'd post to you guys about my first actual surgery in which I can really say that I did the majority and could claim as primary surgeon.

It was an open hernia. The patient was kind of an ass when I met him and had this air of importance. In fact he asked why the hospital wasn't among the top 50 in the magazine he was reading.

Anyway, once the patient was out, we (the staff, crna, and I) commented that the pt was kind of a jerk.

Once we prepped and draped, the surgeon used a marking pen, and had me make the incision after putting in local. The case went well. We repaired his indirect hernia with a mesh/plug combo. Anyway, it was a good experience. I know someday, hernia repairs will be boring. But for an intern who's been desperate to get in there to do some operating, it was a lot of fun.

Any other interns out there got any firs case stories?

 

[bobbyseal]

I too had my first case last month (hemorrhoid removal). My attending...who happens to be the program director goes..."I'm going to do one on this side, and then it's your turn". 30 seconds later, he hands me the scalpel...okay your turn. I fumbled around for the first few minutes, but finally got things going. It was exhilirating! I must admit though that I've enjoyed the SICU quite a bit as well. I nearly popped one when I got my first IJ cvc. Take care all.

so maybe I spoke a little soon. Maybe today was my first "real" case. Although I did do the majority of the hernia, the attending didn't have me dictate it. Today I did a pilonidal cyst excision and the attending had me actually dictate the case.

Honestly, it was a ditzel of a case, but when the attending is like, "Hey, can you dictate this one," I immediately say, "Yeah sure." But I know full well that I have no clue on how to dictate an operative report. I got to say that my chief resident helped me a bit on that today.

Have fun all.

 

[ExtraCrispy]

I can share in the thrill - I'm actually not a resident yet, but a fourth-year med student finishing up a sub-I on peds surgery. Yesterday, one of the attendings claps me on the back and remarks to another attending, "What do you say we give her an appy as a going away present?" (there was an acute appendicitis case in the ER). He let me first assist - it was amazing! So gratifying to see the patient the next day, asymptomatic and laughing.

 

[mustangsally65]

It was an open hernia. The patient was kind of an ass when I met him and had this air of importance. In fact he asked why the hospital wasn't among the top 50 in the magazine he was reading.

Anyway, once the patient was out, we (the staff, crna, and I) commented that the pt was kind of a jerk.

First of all, let me say that this is not a troll post. I think your story is interesting and the bit about the hernia mortality rate made me laugh.

However, I have had a hernia surgery myself, and it is quite embarassing.Your patient probably wasn't a jerk, he was just in an uncomfortable position and handled it badly. I was 19 years old when I had my surgery, and since I am female it was not fun dropping my drawers in front of my young male surgeon. (now don't infer anything from that, he's married and I'm not looking!)

When you have a hernia you are being told that you have a defect. In modern medicine we expect to be given a pill or something less invasive than surgery to fix our problems. With hernias, all you know is that you are broken and the only way to fix it is surgery. If you put it off, it gets worse. So you have no choice, and it usually happens pretty fast from diagnosis to surgery so you don't have a lot of time to accept the situation. And for men, being told you have a defect in your pelvic region is probably not much fun. It was hard enough for me, I know I've never been told to turn my head and cough before!

Anyway, I'm not trying to preach, just adding my two cents. When you know you're going to have surgery and the gown comes off after you are under anesthesia, that can make you nervous as well, not to mention the risks associated with any surgery, and the prospect of a hospital stay if something goes wrong. For me, the recovery was the hardest part because I've never felt so much like an old man in my life. The surgery part was kind of cool, (at least until I woke up and they made me get up and move around!) because I want to be a doctor someday. But there was still the uncertainty that comes with any surgery, and the feeling of vulnerability that you tend to get when you're in the hospital and everyone is monitoring your every breath.

Incidentally, I need to have another inguinal hernia repaired in the next few months on the other side (my first was on the left side). It's kind of cool to hear about the stories on here, and I know you guys don't mean anything by saying your patient was a jerk. First surgeries must be really awesome (and scary too!). I'm still pre-med (applying this year) so it'll be a while for me, but thanks for sharing!

 

[toofache32]

Incidentally, I need to have another inguinal hernia repaired in the next few months on the other side (my first was on the left side).

I've got an opening next week...

 

[mustangsally65]

I've got an opening next week...

Ha ha. Is it for free or reduced costs?

I've put it off since I've been in undergrad the past two years, but now I'm starting med school interviews. I'll probably have it done in Nov or Dec. Thanks for the offer, though. I'm sure you have my best interests at heart!

 

[toofache32]

Ha ha. Is it for free or reduced costs?

Sure...if you're nice we'll even use anesthesia. Now where's that rusty old blade I had around here...

 

[mustangsally65]

Sure...if you're nice we'll even use anesthesia. Now where's that rusty old blade I had around here...

Bring it on. Oh, and define "nice."

 

[inliner42]

geez.... get a room

 

[toofache32]

... Oh, and define "nice."

<gulp>

 

[Soon2BENT]

mine is stupid, but hey, I still got a chance to cut....

I'm doing ENT right now and during the first week, my attending lets me scrub into a tracheostomy (i told you, nothing to big, but hey, I'm a 4th year student). i come to the table ready to grab a retractor or a suction and he hands me the scalpel and says, "ok, here you go". i begin to sweat and look at him, grab the scalpel with my LEFT hand and say, "well, I guess this means we have to switch sides" (such a right handed world). The case was uneventful and at the end the PGY-2 hands me a sticker and says, "here's your first trach".

Felt good to cut from beginning to end. I've got to do more cutting and sewing on ENT then I did on my General Surgery rotation. Clerkships truly are
"resident dependent".

 

[bobbyseal]

I got another bone thrown my way on Friday. A different attending let me do the majority of a hernia case. He had me dictate the op note. Talk about stammering through another dictation. I need to start getting some dictations to keep in my pocket so I know how to do it properly. I actually said we stitched the medial part of the mesh to the external oblique. Oops... I mean internal oblique. Oh well... all a part of the learning process.

 

[mtheman]

Thanks for the offer, though. I'm sure you have my best interests at heart!

You do know that toofache is an oral surgery resident right?

 

[toofache32]

You do know that toofache is an oral surgery resident right?

Well, the head bone connects to the neck bone...connects to the hernia bone? OK, maybe not.

 

[mtheman]

Well, the head bone connects to the neck bone...connects to the hernia bone? OK, maybe not.

it's always a laugh with you toofache

 

[mustangsally65]

You do know that toofache is an oral surgery resident right?

Oops. I did not know that. Although I did wonder about the username.

Now I feel dumb.

Hernia surgeries seem to be the ones that surgeons let med students/residents practice on a lot because they are very common. When I get to med school I will have an insider's perspective and probably won't want to help out on hernias. I'd feel bad for inflicting so much pain on someone.