I have been used to working in the OT with less than optimum illumination. We had ancient OT lights, which had been repaired by the local electrical engineer so many times, that none of them had any of the original parts left, except the base plates and suspending rods. Sometimes they would blink off. Sometimes they would show some spark followed by smoke and then go off. Sometimes they would blink off and on when the domes were moved to change the position of the spot. When I became head of the department, I decided I had had enough. I processed double-dome lights, one for each operation table. It took me five years of struggle to complete the process, which was like a hurdles race. Finally we got the new lights. Unfortunately, I had to be happy with only one dome per table in one OT, because we were forced to keep two OT tables in one OT (where there was not enough space to put two lights) and keep the other OT vacant, to be made into a modular OT. But that is another story. The lights were good, and even one dome was sufficient for each table. Sometimes we added another small spot light to it when we were performing vaginal surgery.
I had to wash up to help in a vaginal operation today. When I started operating, I thought the light was less. They already had the small spot light on, and still the illumination was less. I asked for more light twice, and the attendant juggled the inclination of the dome to try and improve the illumination. It did not work.
"Is something wrong with my vision?" I said. "I hear the vision becomes dark with retinal detachment."
No one assured me I did no have any such condition. But no one agreed that the light was less too. I think they were so tired that they just wanted the case to get over so that they could wash out. I finished the difficult part and handed the case back to the original operating surgeon. When I washed out, I happened to wander to the wall switch and look at it. It looked like this.
"Hey, look at this" I said. "Someone has reduced the illumination of dome 2 to half." The indicator for dome 1 showed full illumination, which was for the other table. Only half the LEDs for dome 2 were lit.
They looked. No one offered any explanation or agreed that he/she had done it. We increased the illumination to full, and suddenly the operative field glowed with light.
"Perhaps you had a fight with the attendant sometime" I said to the operating surgeon, "who reduced the light to get even?"
There was no answer.
I had to wash up to help in a vaginal operation today. When I started operating, I thought the light was less. They already had the small spot light on, and still the illumination was less. I asked for more light twice, and the attendant juggled the inclination of the dome to try and improve the illumination. It did not work.
"Is something wrong with my vision?" I said. "I hear the vision becomes dark with retinal detachment."
No one assured me I did no have any such condition. But no one agreed that the light was less too. I think they were so tired that they just wanted the case to get over so that they could wash out. I finished the difficult part and handed the case back to the original operating surgeon. When I washed out, I happened to wander to the wall switch and look at it. It looked like this.
"Hey, look at this" I said. "Someone has reduced the illumination of dome 2 to half." The indicator for dome 1 showed full illumination, which was for the other table. Only half the LEDs for dome 2 were lit.
They looked. No one offered any explanation or agreed that he/she had done it. We increased the illumination to full, and suddenly the operative field glowed with light.
"Perhaps you had a fight with the attendant sometime" I said to the operating surgeon, "who reduced the light to get even?"
There was no answer.
