Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

Anaesthesia anyone?

By Jonathan J. Ariel - posted Thursday, 4 August 2011


Every aspect of surgery is personalised by the surgeons. For example, closing wounds, Whang claims is prone to ritual: there's one surgeon who counts her sutures; if she ends on 13, she either takes one out or adds [another]".

Whang and his team chuckle like school kids when walking past the hospital cafeteria which sports multiple healthy eating posters with photos promoting the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables cheek by jowl with slogans boasting the merits of nutrition, yet the same cafeteria is festooned with "stainless steel warmers holding sausages floating in pools of grease" and a deep fried assortments of other items.

Some fascinating topics are covered by Whang, in particular the occurrence of patients lying awake in surgery (up to 6 per thousand surgeries) In such cases, patients will feel something; be it the knife cutting through or similar. "I mean it's a horrible thing to imagine. Once you go to sleep [you remain continually anaesthetised]…but there are a number of factors that will increase the chance of being aware [of the surgical procedure]. One is genetics. Certain people have been shown to have a genetic predisposition to 'resist' the amnesic effect of anaesthetics".

Advertisement

Dr Whang enjoys sharing with his readers his insights into a host of medical specialists, including cardiologists; psychiatrists; neurologists; plastic surgeons; gastroenterologists and gynaecologists. But it's the orthopaedic surgeons who stand out given their strong personality traits. Whang recalls one who said "he didn't feel he'd done a good job unless [during a procedure] the blood splatters reached the ceiling".

And often slopping on to his notes and on to him.

This book is a light read prior to any hospitalisation. I closed the book with one overriding criticism and it's a big one: there is no comprehensive examination of the consequences of poorly applied anaesthesia or a patient's poor tolerance of the anaesthetic drugs, either of which can result in different levels of post operative cognitive impairment and possible catastrophic changes to a patient's quality of life.

Assuming the patient survives the surgery that is.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. Page 2
  4. All

Operating Room Confidential: What Really Goes on When You Go Under" by Paul Whang, MD, 2010, ECW Press, Toronto, online for US$16.95 or $30 at your local bookshop.



Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

3 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Jonathan J. Ariel is an economist and financial analyst. He holds a MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management. He can be contacted at jonathan@chinamail.com.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Jonathan J. Ariel

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Jonathan J. Ariel
Article Tools
Comment 3 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy