This time, instead of going with just my faculty, we have coordinated with the head chairman of KEMU heath/science department to show us on rounds in the private hospital (I have previously mentioned in an earlier post). I am obviously not in the pictures because I am the camera person (duh). But nonetheless, these are my medical students I stayed with. I rounded in the medical ward, aka internal medicine. I saw diabetic patients and immunosuppressed patient . The attending also showed us what happens to a patient after a mild heart attack (when the patient walks, you will see their weight shifted to more heavily to their left side due to the mild sign of paralysis. remember the heart is on your left side). This private was very nice with individual mosquito nets for patients and gowns.
We even had the opportunity to observe a C-section in the maternal ward. So we gowned up and literally was in the same operation room as the mother and the surgeons. I thought I would be behind glass to see this operation, but was I wrong. There was limited ventilation in the room, just two open doors. It was the typical operation room with the huge head lamp over the patient bed and nearly all surfaces of the mother was covered up with the green cloth. We stood right in front of the patient (if she were to sit right up, she would be facing directly in front of us). I positioned myself closer to the door because there was a reason why I am in pharmacy school over medical.
We were warned from the ours that saw the first delivery it does get a bit violent and advised not to stand in the 'front row'. We were to see the second C-section. For some odd reason, I thought I would see a greater burst of blood or something that would fit the expectation of 'violent'. Lucky for you, I am a horrible describer so you will not feel the shock I felt at the moment standing there. But let me do my best ;)
The mother had a huge anesthetic needle injected directly into her cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of her lower lumbar region. The mother was very much conscious during the whole process and the anesthetic nurse kept her quite talkative or entertained throughout the surgery. Oddly enough, she her two arms were stretched outward, parallel to the floor (so imagine Jesus on the cross, but with a huge tummy). The surgeon made a horizontal incision about 8 inches across, cut through the skin layer, then the adipose tissue, then muscle, finally into the uterus. There wasn't a big burst of blood when she cut through the uterus (as I was expecting). Perhaps it was drained into a vaccum the nurse had placed prior to the uterus incision. But then the surgeon and her assistant started pulling the 8'' opening wider, like you're trying really hard to get something to open a little bit wider to get something out (well, literally). I was totally surprised by how ruthless the surgeon's action. What was worst was a third nurse came into the scene and started pushing on the upper region of the abdomen. I did not understand until I always a dark figure, then an arm did I realize it's the baby! They are trying to get the baby out. Then it was suddenly out! along with the placenta which was huge! I have to admit, I cried when I hear the baby cried. But the nurse really flicked that baby's foot really hard. I understand you need to make sure the baby did not suffocate but really...that hard? Anyway, birth is truly a miracle. It was my first time experiencing such an emotional time. Unfortunately, the husband was not in the room. I never saw the husband anyway. If I were to give birth, I would very much want his hand next to me. Oh, I would also not like to experience C-section. Seeing what I saw that day, I would go vaginally. The rest of the time was spent sewing up the uterus, the two layers of tissue, and finally the skin. I could not take it anymore after the baby came out because of the heat in the room, the smell of blood in front of us. I needed to step out into the hallway for fresh air.
But whoa. just whoa. All this took about 30 minutes. Apparently this isn't any major surgery. The residents need to perform so many before they can specialize in this field. Could you believe that? The surgeon was not specifically specialized in doing C-sections. She needed to perform X-amount before applying for further specialty. Different.
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