The operation tables are basically same. They have different attachments for suiting needs of different patients. Our operation tables have a semicircular cut at the lower end of the table, where the leg sections come off. That permits surgery in lithotomy position. Orthopedic tables have trochanteric stirrups which permit surgery with the lower limbs extended and abducted. Generally we do not need theirs and they do not need ours. But we had a patient who had a lower limb problem that did not permit flexion at the knee and hip joints, and she needed a medical termination of pregnancy.
"Let us borrow those orthopedic stirrups from orthopedic OT" I said.
Unfortunately it was not possible because the orthopedic OT had only one pair of such stirrups and they needed the stirrups.
"Let our house officers hold the patient's legs straight during the procedure" the Associate Professor suggested. They agreed because they could not say no to a boss.
"We cannot have doctors doing such work" I said. "How long can anyone hold a patient's lower limbs straight out like that, and what if the grip becomes unsteady due to fatigue and the patient moves? It may cause a uterine perforation. Let us put the limbs on Mayo's trolleys at the sides. Their height can be adjusted."
There were not enough Mayo's trolleys for this purpose.
"What about the leg sections of the table?" the Associate Professor asked.
"The leg sections are removed during surgery by rotating them around a vertical axis first and then pulling them out of the table" I said. "We can just rotate them through a suitable angle and place the patient's lower limbs on them in extended and abducted position."
The following 3D image shows the OT table in standard position in 'A' and with the leg sections rotated in 'B' part of the image.
We did what I suggested, and the patient got operated on without any problem including any injury to the affected lower limb, as would have occurred in lithotomy position.
"Let us borrow those orthopedic stirrups from orthopedic OT" I said.
Unfortunately it was not possible because the orthopedic OT had only one pair of such stirrups and they needed the stirrups.
"Let our house officers hold the patient's legs straight during the procedure" the Associate Professor suggested. They agreed because they could not say no to a boss.
"We cannot have doctors doing such work" I said. "How long can anyone hold a patient's lower limbs straight out like that, and what if the grip becomes unsteady due to fatigue and the patient moves? It may cause a uterine perforation. Let us put the limbs on Mayo's trolleys at the sides. Their height can be adjusted."
There were not enough Mayo's trolleys for this purpose.
"What about the leg sections of the table?" the Associate Professor asked.
"The leg sections are removed during surgery by rotating them around a vertical axis first and then pulling them out of the table" I said. "We can just rotate them through a suitable angle and place the patient's lower limbs on them in extended and abducted position."
The following 3D image shows the OT table in standard position in 'A' and with the leg sections rotated in 'B' part of the image.
We did what I suggested, and the patient got operated on without any problem including any injury to the affected lower limb, as would have occurred in lithotomy position.
