First surgery

[cjsmith]

Big day today. I was the surgeon for an uncomplicated dog neuter. With all the things I've done before, assisting and practicing and whatnot, I've never truly been "the surgeon" before

Comments

[ken_r]

Wow -- congratulations! And to think, it wasn't all that long ago you were struggling with staying vertical through the icky bits.

Have I mentioned how awesome I think you are? <3

[cjsmith]

Aw, thanks! :)

I still struggle with staying vertical through the icky bits, but now my definition of icky has changed. If I think the animal is feeling pain from what we are doing, I get REALLY bothered. At least that's rare (and I'm often wrong about it -- often I think "he should feel that" and he doesn't.)

[firecat]

Congratulations!

[cjsmith]

Thanks! That is an AWESOME icon :)

[firecat]

Thanks! I made it when I was volunteering with dogs at the animal shelter. Those two dogs were hoping I would take them for a walk, or give them a treat.

[cjsmith]

Awwww! That's really sweet. :)

[daphnep]

Wow! That's really exciting--congratulations, doctor!

[cjsmith]

Thanks! Next, even larger, scary bit: first anesthesia. :)

[lbuckley]

Yep. There's got to be a first, and the patient's safety is at stake. I often think this about docs who operate on humans -- someone had to be their first surgery. Heh.

Congrats, dear, that's exciting!!

[cjsmith]

Yep, it's true. One thing that helped me is all the little bits of experience ahead of time. Scrub in on this one and watch. Scrub in on this one and hand me instruments. No, that other thing is a Carmalt clamp, the one over there. Thanks. Scrub in on this one and will you hold that organ right there for me please? Yep, that much tension is perfect. Scrub in on this one and do you want to place this ligature? Here, I'll guide your hands. Scrub in on this one and tell me what I'm doing next. Point to it. Good. Then what? Ah, not quite; what should I do just before that? Good.

And of course I've sutured dead ones. :-/ Suturing is one of those things I could practice for YEARS and still need to improve.

[cjsmith]

Thanks! Yeah, lots of progress... and of course lots more to come. We're supposed to know stuff about diagnosis, most of which I have of course forgotten, but we haven't learned the first thing about how to treat anything (yet).