Please note: The following might disturb some people because it is about abdominal surgery in vague detail.

 

 

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Tomorrow morning I get to perform my first surgery at the veterinary teaching hospital! I'm so excited and yet terrified at the same time. This semester we do surgical rotations so each surgical team member gets to be anaesthetist, assistant surgeon and head surgeon. I got the latter first hit. Eep!

 

My patient is a dog, who does not have an owner and is scheduled for euthanasia. I send my deepest thanks and respect to those animals who give their lives to help veterinary students become competent doctors who will save lives in future. Please let me assure you that we are regulated very closely by ethical commitees, and we treat our patients with the utmost care and respect. In the operating theatre they are true patients and every effort is made to minimise stress, pain and trauma. After the procedure, the animals remain under deep anaesthetia and recieve a terminal injection, which will put them to sleep painlessly and without any stress.

 

I will be performing an intestinal enterectomy and anastomsis. This means removing a piece of the intestine and joining the cut ends together. This type of surgery is used when a piece of the intestine has died, due to obstruction, twisting, telescoping, infection, or other intestinal problems like cancer.

 

I've done an external surgery before (routine desexing) but this is my first ever operation where I have to do everything like a real surgeon - from srubbing up, draping the patient, setting the equipment, opening the abdomen, ligating the blood vessels, cutting the piece out and then stitching everything back together.

I'm somewhat terrified. The real surgeons will be watching, asking questions constantly and making sure I don't make any mistakes - which will earn a black mark on my name! In reality, a little mistake can cost the animal's life. *studies meticulously*

That said, I am loving life at the teaching hospital! Next semester I will be doing clinical rounds and the year after I will be an intern. Exciting stuff!

 

I'll let you know how it goes. When I get around to being anaesthetist and assitant surgeon, I'll tell you about that too

Edited February 21, 200817 yr by Chrysocome

How exciting, yet completely scary at the same time!

Best of luck Dr Chrysocome, I'm sure you will do a fantastic job.

It's just a shame that the dog has to be euthanised.

 

Do keep us updated and good luck once more .

You will do great, it is a sad reality about the dog and it cuts to the heart for me

Good luck with your surgery. :hap:

Shame the poor dog was on the euthanasia list :hap: It maddens me when owners are not responsible and don't care for these lovely creatures! I am so pleased his life is going to benefit your knowledge to help save others lives. It Puts a positive to an inevitable loss.

Edited February 22, 200817 yr by **Liv**

l'm sure you will do fine.

Good Luck Dr. Bless that poor dog too...

Woot Woot, sounds like its going well for you. I always found surgery really interesting, you gotta take the good with the bad though.

Good luck with it- look forward to hearing more stories. ( I won't ask for details!!)

It went well, for me at least. Despite that, it affected me deeply. I suppose it will be a part of my career I will have to acknowledge - ending the lives of (sometimes perfectly healthy) animals. Rest in peace dear one, and thank you.

I did learn a lot, though was quite shaky and kept making this one mistake from sheer stress. I am glad for the oppurtunity to practice; using cadavers is one thing but when there's fresh blood spurting at you, it's quite different!

I now have to write a surgeon's report and prepare to be anaesthetist for the next rotation.

Edited February 24, 200817 yr by Chrysocome

I am so pleased it went well :hap:

I can handle the blood, but I wouldn't have the stomach for the gore... I wanted to be a vet right though my childhood! Seeing the grades required to get into uni to study Vet science put me off - I'm not dumb, but I'm not THAT smart either hehehe. Well done! You must be very proud :hap:

Good on you. I too always wanted to be a vet... but I could never achieve the grades(I'm smart but not that 'school brained' when it came to it), and I'm not good when animals get sick... esp all that gorey stuff. I'm sure you're going to make a fantastic vet. I'm also sure there will be many patients that will touch you in ways you'd never expect. They will help make you the doctor you will become... and each and every one of them will have a special place in your heart!

Wow, you did a surgery :budgiedance: . Glad it went well

l'm glad that you did great,

Thats great, a job well done.

 

And, you can only get better and gain more confidance the more you practice .