The first surgery I observed was unexpected.
I had been shadowing an orthopedic surgeon in India for about two days when he suggested I observe one of his joint replacement surgeries. At the time, I didn’t have much experience in the healthcare field and didn’t know much about the anatomy and the practical aspects of a surgery. However, not one to back down from a challenge, I agreed.
Before the surgery, to my surprise, I was only given a mask and a hair cap as a part of my personal protective equipment (PPE). I quickly learned that the same PPE requirements in a hospital in the U.S. didn’t apply to India. In addition, India didn’t have any rule to protect patient identity such as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act which is why I was able to watch the surgery in the first place.
Decked out in my graphic t-shirt, cargoes, Converse shoes and minimal PPE, I was deemed ready to observe my first surgery. Before the patient was brought to the operating room, one of the scrub nurses showed me around the room. She explained how the sterile tools were unwrapped and arranged on the tray. One thing I quickly learned is that the delicate surgical tools I saw on Grey’s Anatomy were nothing like the huge orthopedic surgery machines laid across the room. In addition to screws, bolts, and metal rods, machines such as bone saws and 10-inch bone drills were laid delicately across the sterile fields.
Once the operating room was set up, the patient was brought into my room. At this point, reality hit what I was about to witness and my nerves began to skyrocket. My nerves came crashing down as the anesthesiologist pulled out my biggest fear: a 10-inch needle to sedate the patient.
Thankfully, I didn’t pass out. Though, I did have to leave the operating room for a couple of minutes to regain my composure. Once I came back into the operating room, I watched the rest of the surgery in deep admiration.
What started as an overwhelming moment of fear quickly transformed into a deep fascination with the anatomy and the tools used to heal it. From that day forward, I knew that my path would lead to a career in medicine, where I could one day make the same kind of impactful difference in patients’ lives.
