Let me Check my Schedule

Dinner was delicious.

Highlight of the day: Savannah and I walked to the Zócalo for dinner. I had Mole Poblano and she had Chile en Nogada. We shared both dishes, and it was by far the best meal I have had in Puebla!

    This morning I was counting down the minutes until I could put on my sterile scrubs, cap, mask, and booties. I was so excited to cross the barrier and be on the surgical floor. Today our first surgery was a hysterectomy. The patient had a uterine polyp and was constantly having uterine bleeding and was having difficulty getting pregnant. She may also have been anemic, but the best course of action was to remove the polyp and see if the patient improved. The polyp was removed and sent to a lab to be examined more closely. The procedure was over almost as fast as it started. There weren't even any stitches!

   The second surgery was an arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. The procedure took about two and a half hours, which the surgeons said was good time. Dr. Chavaz was the leading surgeon, and a resident was assisting with the procedure as well. The patient was in the "silla de playa" or "beach chair" position for optimal visualization of the shoulder during surgery. There were three portals for the medical instruments, and the key to a good arthroscopic surgery is to have good portals. If the portals are in good places, it is easy to maneuver and complete the surgery quickly. If the portals are not aligned correctly, the surgery becomes much more difficult and there is more of a chance that the surgery will turn into an open surgery.

The OR used for the rotator cuff repair.

     The most interesting thing I noticed today was that surgeries done with magnifying cameras can be very helpful to both the doctors and the patients, but they can also be time consuming. In the rotator cuff repair, the surgeons spent most of the surgery working with placing stitches inside the shoulder. Every movement has to be really precise, and the doctor has to look at a screen to see what he or she is doing. Fun fact: males have to have a screen 180 degrees to perform at their best in laparoscopic surgeries while women are able to have the screen about 270 degrees away and still perform at the same level. I am impressed with how much can be done with such small surgical instruments.

    I don't think I could ever get tired of saying: "I'll let you know when I'm out of surgery," or "surgery ran a bit late today." It's so much fun getting to see the action! I hope we get to see some more surgeries before we leave.