Observed my first surgeries today...

[KTownGT]

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And, all I can say is, OMG! It was AWESOME!

I shadowed a cardiothoracic surgeon, and we did two surgeries(one was canceled).

- Thoracotomy with a right upper lobeotomy.
- carotic endarterectomy.

I was supposed to watch a femoral bipass, but that surgery was canceled.

I am definitely not a GI person though... Y'all can have that all to yourselves.

 

[smarttee88]

No sarcastic comment, not an ounce of wit. I will just plainly say that I envy you in a major, major way.

 

[sedaniel]

And, all I can say is, OMG! It was AWESOME!

I shadowed a cardiothoracic surgeon, and we did two surgeries(one was canceled).

- Thoracotomy with a right upper lobeotomy.
- carotic endarterectomy.

I was supposed to watch a femoral bipass, but that surgery was canceled.

I am definitely not a GI person though... Y'all can have that all to yourselves.

Isn't it like, the biggest rush ever watching that stuff? I love it 😀

 

[FutureDoc01]

I watched my first surgery when I was 16. I think I was shaking the whole time. Like a 4yo at Christmas, haha!

 

[JaggerPlate]

Watching surgeries is rad. I think it makes everyone want to be a surgeon ... at least for a few days!

 

[KTownGT]

No sarcastic comment, not an ounce of wit. I will just plainly say that I envy you in a major, major way.

I'm just mad that the day flew by so fast... Oh well, I'm back in his office on Monday for clinicals...

Isn't it like, the biggest rush ever watching that stuff? I love it 😀

When donned my scrubs and spent what felt like an hour putting together the eye covers, I was shaking the whole time... Could have been from: 0 food, 2x 7 hour energies within 3 hours of each other, and 0 sleep the night before.

The first surgery the docs used an electric cardirizer(spl?) to cut through the skin and latimus dorsi muscle(I think) it smelled eerily like steak.

I actually asked the surgeon, "Is it bad that I'm starving after watching my first surgery(very invasive surgery to boot) and wanting a steak?" haha

I watched my first surgery when I was 16. I think I was shaking the whole time. Like a 4yo at Christmas, haha!

I was nervous and anxious for the first surgery. After that, I was much more relaxed. Still was a little shakey though.

I'm still wired even though I got off 6ish hours ago.

 

[aidama]

I'm just mad that the day flew by so fast... Oh well, I'm back in his office on Monday for clinicals...



When donned my scrubs and spent what felt like an hour putting together the eye covers, I was shaking the whole time... Could have been from: 0 food, 2x 7 hour energies within 3 hours of each other, and 0 sleep the night before.

The first surgery the docs used an electric cardirizer(spl?) to cut through the skin and latimus dorsi muscle(I think) it smelled eerily like steak.

I actually asked the surgeon, "Is it bad that I'm starving after watching my first surgery(very invasive surgery to boot) and wanting a steak?" haha



I was nervous and anxious for the first surgery. After that, I was much more relaxed. Still was a little shakey though.

I'm still wired even though I got off 6ish hours ago.

Wait until you see a Da Vinci surgery. 😀 Then you and the doc are staring at a computer screen!

 

[YaBoyAR]

Wow. Very cool. Very jealous as well. I bet that'll be a great experience to discuss later in ur interviews

 

[MN premed]

Surgeries are awesome 👍

 

[nlax30]

Very cool, glad you enjoyed it!

If you get a chance open AAA repairs are an incredible open surgery to watch if you can get close enough. Get to see a good bit of anatomy.

 

[familyaerospace]

Watching surgeries is rad. I think it makes everyone want to be a surgeon ... at least for a few days!

I've shadowed for several surgeries in the OR (plastic surgeon though) and it doesn't want to make me want to be a surgeon.

 

[KTownGT]

I've shadowed for several surgeries in the OR (plastic surgeon though) and it doesn't want to make me want to be a surgeon.

Lipo'ing FUPA and give 80 year old women tit jobs wouldn't appeal much to me either. 🙄

 

[COMedic2Doc]

Surgery ROCKS! 👍 What rocks even more is when you are doing minor surgical procedures yourself in a remote duty medicine setting as a Paramedic, but I must admit it's only made me want to be a Surgeon more.

I still remember watching my first Inguinal Hernia surgery when I was 16 and then working in a Trauma ER rocked for getting to take trips to the OR frequently to assist. 😀

 

[scpod]

.... What rocks even more is when you are doing minor surgical procedures yourself in a remote duty medicine setting as a Paramedic, but I must admit it's only made me want to be a Surgeon more....

Yes, it's pretty cool at first. Your 45th lap chole, however, is just boring drudgery. Your perspective may change quite a bit by the time you finish medical school. I will admit that the coolest thing ever was in my plastic surgery rotation in 4th year where I got to do a complete surgery from start to finish on my own. Granted, it was just a repair and debridement of a TRAM flap that had broken down.... but it was ultimately cool to have the surgeon first assist while you called the shots.

That said, I could never, ever be a surgeon because the lifestyle utterly sucks. During my first surgical rotation in 3rd year my attending missed his birthday celebration and his anniversary party because of emergencies that came up. We had the "half" days that month that stretched into the next day because we had emergencies come up. None of these days were we on call either. Remember, too, that a pretty high percentage of residents drop out of surgery after the first year-- a higher number than any other specialty.

 

[familyaerospace]

Lipo'ing FUPA and give 80 year old women tit jobs wouldn't appeal much to me either. 🙄

The lipoing was kinda gross, but the augmentations weren't so bad (and it was more like 35 year old women!)

 

[COMedic2Doc]

Yes, it's pretty cool at first. Your 45th lap chole, however, is just boring drudgery. Your perspective may change quite a bit by the time you finish medical school. I will admit that the coolest thing ever was in my plastic surgery rotation in 4th year where I got to do a complete surgery from start to finish on my own. Granted, it was just a repair and debridement of a TRAM flap that had broken down.... but it was ultimately cool to have the surgeon first assist while you called the shots.

That said, I could never, ever be a surgeon because the lifestyle utterly sucks. During my first surgical rotation in 3rd year my attending missed his birthday celebration and his anniversary party because of emergencies that came up. We had the "half" days that month that stretched into the next day because we had emergencies come up. None of these days were we on call either. Remember, too, that a pretty high percentage of residents drop out of surgery after the first year-- a higher number than any other specialty.

Too true, I do agree that having the Surgeon First Assist would rock for sure. We'll see where life leads, I know that I enjoy assisting and being involved in Surgical procedures but I may find that a specialty like Emergency Medicine appeals just as much if not more. 🙂