Day surgery

Once during our first semester of upper-division classwork, every nursing student at UT has a chance to observe day surgery.

I saw:

1) Three colonoscopies

The first was routine. The doctor was cool and pointed out anatomy like the entrance to the appendix, the liver (blue patch on the colon wall), and the prostate. The second one was interesting because the patient chose not to be sedated. He was a trooper, breathed well through the painful parts, and didn't make a peep. The third guy was well-sedated and yet still groaned loudly throughout it. Poor guy, it was a rough go for him. Thankfully we won't remember it because of the amnesiac effects of the sedation.

2) Uterine and cervical tissue sampling

Just what it says. It requires a lot of prep for a procedure that's over quickly. Sterile drapes all over the place.

3) Two hand surgeries

First was removal of a benign tumor from a woman's hand. The surgeon specializes in hands and was happy to tell me all about what she was doing and why. The second surgery wasn't as cool, but still interesting. I got to fetch the nurse a sterile finger nail cleaner and open up a sterile gown for the doctor.

So nothing too bloody for me. A fellow student got to see a nose job where they pulled out a guy's middle nasal turbinate.



That was really bloody as the tissue is well-perfused by capillaries which you'd expect because one of the functions of the turbinates is to warm inhaled air.

I'd never been interested in surgery before, but after this experience, I can see myself possibly working in day surgery at some point. The high turnover and variety would keep it interesting.