P.O.P. The Operation and Beyond
Next is the head nurse of the Cardiothoracic Unit, and she describes the entire process pre-surgery, during surgery and post-surgery. She hands out an antiseptic bodywash that we have to use during showers commencing two days prior to the surgery date. The day prior to surgery we have to check into the hospital at 2pm. The shaving nurse will come around and shave us – to which I ask if I can keep my one chest hair? I become the butt of my own joke when the nurse asks me to show it to her so that she can decide! On the day of surgery we are going to be woken up at 5am, shower and then if we are the first patient for the day, prepare for surgery, which will happen around 7am when we are drugged and then taken into the operating theatre. The second patient will have breakfast, and go into surgery after the first one comes out, around 11am to midday. It turns out that the guy sitting next to me is my surgery buddy – we have the same surgeon in Tuesday. We wanna toss for first position (nothing would be worse than waiting!).
As part of the surgery, we’ll have some tubes put into our abdomen – one into the bladder to remove urine. We’ll have catheters inserted into our wrists, and also into our carotid arteries in our neck. And a breathing tube inserted down our throats. The sternum will be cracked down the middle, our hearts/valves/arteries/liposuction will be fixed and then our chestbone wired together, chest stitched shut and we’ll be taken to the high dependency Intensive Care Unit. We’ll gradually come out of the anaesthetic, for the first person probably around 7-8pm. As the requirement for the various tubes/catheters is no longer necessary they will be removed. The nurse passes around two large photos, one of a patient in the operating theatre, and one of a patient in the HDICU. Some people don’t want to see them, I choose not to because I’ve seen plenty of patients in surgery before. A gloomy pall falls over everyone though – I think reality has hit a bit, and not even the continual joking and banter that have been going on all morning can protect against it. I look around, and most people are really scared. I’m so glad that no-one came with me – I think they’d be really freaked out right now!
On the day after the operation (day 1) we are transferred to the Step-Down Unit, where we’ll stay for a day or two. We’ll still have pee removal systems in place, and the throat tube will be replaced with an oxygen mask. Our heart rate and rhythm will be continually monitored by a nurse who will be assigned to each patient. We’ll also be given the little green button, which is used for self administering morphine when we decide that we need it. This gets us all excited, until we’re told that only the first click will work, and subsequent clicks will be recorded but not administer drugs. I decide I’m gonna click it continuously for fun! At this time, we will be encouraged to exercise! This surprises most of us, including me. I figured that we would be out of action for much longer than this! It’s at this point that we learn that the only reason why our recovery will take 2-3 months is because this is how long it takes for our sternum to fully heal, and the reason why we can’t drive, or carry heavy objects etc is so that it heals properly. This triggers off a range of questions from the crowd – like “when can I play golf again?”. During the break, my op-buddy tells me he is an avid deer hunter. He asks the nurse whether he can shoot before the 3 months is over. Given the recoil of a firearm, I’m not surprised she says no, but my new friend is devastated. His wife offers to take the shot for him, this makes him even unhappier.
On day 2 (or 3) we will walk ourselves to the general ward (I wonder if the hospital has a shortage on wheelchairs!), where we will have a shower and gradually increase the distance that we can walk, with guidance of course. By day 6, which is the day that we leave the hospital (yes that is not long at all!) we should be walking about 200m. This all sounds a lot better than I had expected, maybe this surgery won’t be so tough after all!
The nurse ends by asking us to fill a specimen bottle with urine for tests. Like little kids we all rush up and grab the bottles and run to the toilet – there’s only one so we all line up. Another chance to chat to the others. I meet the only other guy unaccompanied this morning – it turns out he used to play golf and squash with my uncle! I fill my urine bottle, it reminds me of my younger years studying physiology at uni.
As part of the surgery, we’ll have some tubes put into our abdomen – one into the bladder to remove urine. We’ll have catheters inserted into our wrists, and also into our carotid arteries in our neck. And a breathing tube inserted down our throats. The sternum will be cracked down the middle, our hearts/valves/arteries/liposuction will be fixed and then our chestbone wired together, chest stitched shut and we’ll be taken to the high dependency Intensive Care Unit. We’ll gradually come out of the anaesthetic, for the first person probably around 7-8pm. As the requirement for the various tubes/catheters is no longer necessary they will be removed. The nurse passes around two large photos, one of a patient in the operating theatre, and one of a patient in the HDICU. Some people don’t want to see them, I choose not to because I’ve seen plenty of patients in surgery before. A gloomy pall falls over everyone though – I think reality has hit a bit, and not even the continual joking and banter that have been going on all morning can protect against it. I look around, and most people are really scared. I’m so glad that no-one came with me – I think they’d be really freaked out right now!
On the day after the operation (day 1) we are transferred to the Step-Down Unit, where we’ll stay for a day or two. We’ll still have pee removal systems in place, and the throat tube will be replaced with an oxygen mask. Our heart rate and rhythm will be continually monitored by a nurse who will be assigned to each patient. We’ll also be given the little green button, which is used for self administering morphine when we decide that we need it. This gets us all excited, until we’re told that only the first click will work, and subsequent clicks will be recorded but not administer drugs. I decide I’m gonna click it continuously for fun! At this time, we will be encouraged to exercise! This surprises most of us, including me. I figured that we would be out of action for much longer than this! It’s at this point that we learn that the only reason why our recovery will take 2-3 months is because this is how long it takes for our sternum to fully heal, and the reason why we can’t drive, or carry heavy objects etc is so that it heals properly. This triggers off a range of questions from the crowd – like “when can I play golf again?”. During the break, my op-buddy tells me he is an avid deer hunter. He asks the nurse whether he can shoot before the 3 months is over. Given the recoil of a firearm, I’m not surprised she says no, but my new friend is devastated. His wife offers to take the shot for him, this makes him even unhappier.
On day 2 (or 3) we will walk ourselves to the general ward (I wonder if the hospital has a shortage on wheelchairs!), where we will have a shower and gradually increase the distance that we can walk, with guidance of course. By day 6, which is the day that we leave the hospital (yes that is not long at all!) we should be walking about 200m. This all sounds a lot better than I had expected, maybe this surgery won’t be so tough after all!
The nurse ends by asking us to fill a specimen bottle with urine for tests. Like little kids we all rush up and grab the bottles and run to the toilet – there’s only one so we all line up. Another chance to chat to the others. I meet the only other guy unaccompanied this morning – it turns out he used to play golf and squash with my uncle! I fill my urine bottle, it reminds me of my younger years studying physiology at uni.
posted by Rog at 11/11/2006 12:57:00 AM
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