back logged

When I looked at the OR board Friday morning I had to laugh. It was a are-you-kidding-me-that's-not-going-to happen kind of laugh. You see, we had planned to have all three of us surgeons here this week so we booked about 4-5 elective cases for each day. Then, Dr. S. had to leave unexpectedly for a few days and we were down to two surgeons. As per usual, this week we've had enough emergency operations every day to keep at least one surgeon busy, enough clinic patients for two surgeons, and enough elective operations for another couple of surgeons!  This is what I saw scheduled for the day:

1. Reprise (a typhoid patient scheduled for a second look operation)

2. Hysterectomy

3. Another reprise 

4. Left inguinal hernia

5. Epigastric hernia

6. Fistula-in-ano

7. Inguinal lymph node dissection for cancer

8. Right hydrocele

9. Left inguinal hernia

10. Urgent laparotomy for peritonitis

11. Laparotomy for cystic abdominal mass

12. Below knee amputation

13. Prostatectomy

14. Thyroidectomy

15. Sequestrectomy

16. Reprise (another typhoid patient scheduled for a second look operation)

17. Skin graft

18. Epigastric hernia

Those 18 cases would usually take at least 25 hours of operating. Many of the patient's operations had already been delayed several days. To make matters worse, what you don't see on the board is the emergency C-section, D&C, two more emergency laparotomies, and multiple day cases that were added on throughout the day.

I knew it was impossible. There is an impossible amount of work to be done here every day. So we just do what we can. We did all of the emergency cases, a few of the elective cases. Then we learned that the washing machine was broken again and we were running low on surgical drapes and gowns. By then it was the end of the day so we finished up the last two urgent operations and everyone else will have to wait. Sai hankuri (have patience) as they say around here.

what typhoid can do to the bowel...