Steady As She Goes...

I got the awesome opportunity of watching surgeries all day today! It was quite an experience.

I watched a rotator cuff repair, gall bladder removal and achilles tendon repair.
I felt all official wearing the sacred green scrubs only surgeons are allowed to where.
I thought it would be all quiet and sterile during the surgery like Grey's Anatomy. Boy was I wrong! The ortho surgeon was jammin' out to music from his iPod while the assistants were dancing. Ironically, this song was playing in the background as the doctor was grinding away at the cartilage.

Above is a look through the arthroscope as they work on the patient. The "strings" are the sutures. The shiny metal object at the bottom is one of the instruments.

The rotator cuff repair made me realize why people are so sore when they wake up. :) It kind of grossed me out a little bit to see them poking the instruments into the skin so roughly. (Don't be alarmed... I did not faint. I've been desensitized ever since anatomy class.) They do the whole surgery laparoscopically so I was able to watch it from the monitor. Fun Fact: There is only a 50:50 chance that it will heal and won't blow out again!

During the laparoscopic cholecystectomy, they pulled out two gall stones as hard as rocks and the size of large grapes! Cauterizing the gall bladder out did not smell good.

Above you can see the brownish cauterized areas. This is done to both stop the bleeding and burn away the connective tissue that is holding the gall bladder to the rest of the liver.
Fun Fact: They pull the gall bladder out through the belly button!

I couldn't see much of the achilles tendon repair because no scopes were needed. I was surprised to see how little the leg bled when they sliced into it. I really thought there should be more blood.

Sorry, this cannot be done laparoscopically so the pictures is a little graphic. Queezy people... avert your eyes now.

Anyway, cool experience if you ever get the chance!