It was not just another nightmare come true for two reasons. The first was that I had not had a nightmare like that any time. It was original reality. The other reason was that it was far from the usual nightmarish experiences.
A laparoscopy was being performed by a Registrar. An Assistant Professor was assisting. I was standing nearby, with a watchful eye, waiting while they were anesthetizing another patient. Suddenly I happened to look at the Veress' needle, and I got s**t scared. It was thrust in the patient's abdomen, left free, while carbon dioxide was being insufflated through it.Both the operating surgeon and his assistant were watching the dials of the insufflator and the needle was attended.
"Look at the Veress' needle" I whispered, afraid to speak loudly. The Assistant Professor put his hand out to hold it. "No! Don't touch it. Just look at it" I siad urgently. They looked at it. It was moving up and down rhytjmically, at a rate of about 70 per minute.
"It is moving with the patient's vascular pulsations" the Assistant Professor exclaimed.
"Yes" I said. "It is probably sitting right on the abdominal aorta. A minor push and it will enter the aorta. Withdraw it NOW."
He withdrew it.
"Any blood in it?" I asked.
"None."
"Are the patient's vital parameters OK?" I asked the anesthetist.
"Quite all right" the anesthetist said.
"God be praised" I said. They continued with the remaining steps of the laparoscopy. "I can't watch this" I said and turned back on them. The OT became silent. I looked back through the corner of my eye to watch them. The students laughed thinking I was just being funny. I was not.
"I know I cannot watch this" I said, because I am afraid. But I have to watch it because it is my job to do so."
The laparoscopy was successfully completed. There was no hemoperitoneum. The patient went home fine the next day. I hope neither I nor anyone else has to watch an oscillating Veress' needle anytime.
A laparoscopy was being performed by a Registrar. An Assistant Professor was assisting. I was standing nearby, with a watchful eye, waiting while they were anesthetizing another patient. Suddenly I happened to look at the Veress' needle, and I got s**t scared. It was thrust in the patient's abdomen, left free, while carbon dioxide was being insufflated through it.Both the operating surgeon and his assistant were watching the dials of the insufflator and the needle was attended.
"Look at the Veress' needle" I whispered, afraid to speak loudly. The Assistant Professor put his hand out to hold it. "No! Don't touch it. Just look at it" I siad urgently. They looked at it. It was moving up and down rhytjmically, at a rate of about 70 per minute.
"It is moving with the patient's vascular pulsations" the Assistant Professor exclaimed.
"Yes" I said. "It is probably sitting right on the abdominal aorta. A minor push and it will enter the aorta. Withdraw it NOW."
He withdrew it.
"Any blood in it?" I asked.
"None."
"Are the patient's vital parameters OK?" I asked the anesthetist.
"Quite all right" the anesthetist said.
"God be praised" I said. They continued with the remaining steps of the laparoscopy. "I can't watch this" I said and turned back on them. The OT became silent. I looked back through the corner of my eye to watch them. The students laughed thinking I was just being funny. I was not.
"I know I cannot watch this" I said, because I am afraid. But I have to watch it because it is my job to do so."
The laparoscopy was successfully completed. There was no hemoperitoneum. The patient went home fine the next day. I hope neither I nor anyone else has to watch an oscillating Veress' needle anytime.
