Saturday, January 12, 2008

My First Surgical Case

I am quite lucky to have been able to have my first surgical case at Xavier University Community Health Care Center. I was able to scrub in an excision or removal of a fibroadenoma at the left breast. A fibroadenoma is actually a sort of cyst or mass in the breast. It's actually benign so there was nothing to worry about. I was fortunate to have worked with such an intelligent, skillful, and understanding surgeon. The surgeon has showed me great surgical techniques that I thought I would only see on TV. It was amazing that I actually helped him do those procedures. Actually he could have done it himself. I wasn't really that helpful. Like it was my first time to scrub-in and it really took some time for me to think of what to do next. Dr. Perez was very understanding and he really helped in guiding me what to do. He must have empathized with me since he was also a nurse. He is actually still very young for a talented surgeon. I really had a difficulty in addressing him because I keep on calling him sir instead of doctor. Always remember to call doctors doctor because it is a bit degrading to be called sir because sir is only for male nurses and patients. Its a complex world of medical professionals. Anyway it was quite embarassing when I broke my sterility (that's the absence of microorganisms) but I won't say how because people might use it against me in the court of law. Hehehe. But my mistake wasn't that bad and the operating room nurse was kind enough to let me of the hook that time. The operating room is very amazing. Kind of like a magical place. Imagine in the morning I had to work in the ward and them in the operating room in the afternoon. I was so tired and I wanted to go home but once I entered the operating room adrenaline rush swept all over my body as an operation was actually already begun. It was a shame that I wasn't able to take pictures of the operation but we actually didn't think of taking pictures that time. We had several minor operations and each operation was like a new experience. If I were given a choice to choose where I would specialize, I would definitely say the operating room.

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