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Keissa Davis
Dr. Wright
Complex II Clinical Journal
02/21/2020
Operating Room Clinical Journal

Prior to entering the operating room, I had several preconceived ideas about how I

envisioned my experience would be. Unfortunately, in the past it was hard to gain a lot from my

operating room experience. On most occasions I would mainly stand and watch a procedure.

Explanations to my questions were often riddled with medical jargon that was too difficult to

understand. However, my clinical experience in the Christus Santa Rosa operating room was an

enlightening experience. Another semester of Med Surg has made procedures and the

explanation of procedures easier to understand. I often found myself appreciating the operation

more.

My ultimate goals for the clinical experience were to accrue knowledge about a new

disease process, witness a procedure that I haven’t observed prior and to assist in whichever way

possible. Fortunately, I was able to attain my goals. In total I observed two surgical procedures. A

hip fracture repair, and an abdominal fat pad biopsy. I had never seen the latter procedure done

and I was thrilled to observe it. A middle age female with an extensive history of breast cancer

had a double mastectomy performed to prevent the cancer in her breast from reoccurring.

Months prior, the patient had breast implants and presented to the hospital to have the pockets in

her breast filled. The surgeon injected tumescent, a solution containing epinephrine into the

patient’s abdomen to make the fatty layer. After which, a cannula was inserted, and 120 ccs of fat

was absorbed and implanted into both breasts. Although the surgeon guesstimated the number of

ccs of fat she injected into the patient’s breast, she requested I count to verify. The surgeon was

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right on target. After the procedure, I assisted with moving the patient and transporting her to the

PACU. Although small tasks, it helped me feel more involved in the patient’s care.

Walking into the operating room, the only stress I had was not being able to observe new

procedures. Fortunately, I’ve accrued knowledge both inside and outside of the operating room.

On telemetry, a technician taught me how doctors track pacer rhythms on a portable device. The

technician connected the patient’s heart monitor to a recording device and recorded the patient’s

heart rate and threshold when the pacer’s heart rate was sped up. The technician explained that

any value below two is within range. I also received a good refresher on interpreting rhythms.

Although I didn’t perform any skills, my knowledge expanded. I learnt that tumescent contains

epinephrine, and it is injected into fatty areas of the body to disperse fat cells, so that it may be

easier for it to be absorbed through the cannula. Most importantly, I was assertive in asking

questions about the procedure I didn’t understand.

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