On the other side of the OR

There are two ways of thinking of this now. One that a surgeon needs to be extremely multi talented. Another is the point of this blog.
I am posted in surgery right now. And today was OT day. Well the day started as usual, with me ‘reporting’ for work at exactly 8 30 am. In the surgery wards. Where my post graduates were missing as usual. Rounds were a blitzkrieg. And then I decided to show my face in the OT. Its funny. You have to get dressed to operate. So the multi talents of the surgeon start right here. There’s a huge protocol for washing hands. Its called scrubbing in and that’s the best part.They wash hands for 10 minutes. Lol. Wiping every miniscule germ and virus and whatever it is they think is being wiped away. Its actually the best profession if you have the traits of obsession and compulsion. I agree, though, there is a sense of extreme elation and satisfaction that one gets seeing all the microscopic inhabitants of your hand being kicked out. Sigh. If I ever become a surgeon, you know why. Well anyway, they were doing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. So I settled myself in the corner and finished off the previous blog. Then they realized they needed someone to hold the limb up. So my expertise was requested for. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. So I scrubbed in. I had to hold the limb up for almost 45 min, while they painted it with iodine, and et al. Then they split the skin. It looks like the skin of potatoes. And they tried fitting it into the ulcer. Basically playing jigsaw with potato peels. That’s split skin grafting. That’s what they like to call it. Man, it took 2 hours. All this while I was still holding the hand up so they could jigsaw. And then they stitched the potato peels to the skins. So far, they have played the following roles- washerman, gym training, playing jigsaw, peeling potatoes, and a little bit of tailoring. Then it was time to pack. Rolls and rolls of gauze and cotton. I would love to see a surgeon’s suitcase packed. It must be brilliant. And then they plastered it. So a little bit of masonry as well. Its like watching a kamal Hassan movie. Dasavatharam. And so I stood there, holding up the arm, watching in pure awe, and amazement the multiple roles the surgeon had to keep switching between. Lol. And the best part is that they get ‘dressed’ up for it  Oh well after I exercised my biceps and triceps, there was another procedure. Where I had to hold nothing. Surprise surprise. Role changed. I had to mop. That means clean the blood away from the field. Glorified maid work. Lol. Oh well, all in a day’s work. Or so I thought. Just as I was leaving the hospital, I got a call. Come to OR 10. Emergency. I ran. I thought there would be some exploratory laparatomy blah blah. Guess what. I was called to hold the toe. They were amputating it. Damn. And there ended of my beautiful and totally eventful day of holding arms, feet and toes. Oh I almost forgot. At the end of the day, you smell like dettol, spirit and glove powder. And the glove powder will refuse to go off your hands.

PS: I have nothing against surgeons. Just making a few funny observations. All in jest. 