I work in the Operating Theatre AMA

[StealingYourWiFi]

I work across anaesthetic, scrub and recovery. Currently in the private sector.

Ask away

[jenthehen]

My daughter is interested in being an anaesthetist (I’m not sure why but it fascinates her). She enjoys watching live operations and has spent her Christmas holiday learning how to stitch with a suture kit that she asked for in her Xmas list. (She’s bright, sociable and sporty honestly!) if she doesn’t get the grades what job would suit her? And how did you manage to get work experience for your role? (She’s only 14 so can’t seem to find anywhere to take her)

[Reallybadidea]

@StealingYourWiFi

Have you ever seen an organ donation operation?

[StealingYourWiFi]

Reallybadidea yes, only two.

jenthehen love that! If she doesn't get into medical school then definitely get her to look into Operating Department Practice training which is what I did. It opens up to areas outside of the operating theatre too, mostly critical care and emergency roles but you can go into management and sales too. I didn't do work experience. I started my work in A+E as a healthcare assistant in my early 20s and my love for surgery grew from there. It's definitely worth emailing hospitals, both NHS and private as they do take some work experience students on but they aren't allowed access to a lot of areas.

[Alwaysonholiday]

My daughter is interested in being an anaesthetist

I always loved working with anaesthetists. They are the ones who look after the whole patient and all the ones I've met were lovely people. As well as working in theatre where they administer the anaesthetics, they see the patient beforehand and afterwards and prescribe and administer pain relief. They also work in A & E, obstetrics and intensive care. If your daughter wants to be a doctor, she'll have to work very hard and it takes five or six years to qualify to be a junior doctor. It's after that they start to specialise.

There are jobs in theatre for nurses and ODPs, should she wish to pursue a career in theatre.

[brizzledrizzle]

When I had a c-section there were more than 12 staff members there, many more than I expected, why would you have that many?

[jenthehen]

Thanks AOH and SYW that’s really useful info (I didn’t even know there was such a role as an ODP (I’ve just googled!). We have no family members involved in medicine but she seems incredibly keen so it’s really helpful to know what type of jobs she might find interesting.

[StealingYourWiFi]

brizzledrizzle was it multiples or a single baby? From my obstetric placements here's who will be there:

1. anaesthetist consultant
   
2. junior anaesthetist
   
3. consultant obstetrician
   
4. junior obstetrician
   
5. anaesthetic practitioner
   
6. scrub nurse
   
7. midwife
   
8. circulator (helps set up, writes timings on board etc)
   
   Then there will be students, there can be students for each of those people! So 8 really is the minimum that there would be for a section. If it's multiples then an extra midwife per baby and there may also be a paediatrician present as well.

[brizzledrizzle]

Just the one baby. There was a paediatrician there, other than that there seemed to be a lot of nurses/midwives - all in blue/white coats/dresses? I was counting the people to try and calm my nerves.

[SimplySteve]

Sorry to revive (har har) your thread @StealingYourWiFi , but wondered if you could answer me something.

18 months ago I had a lap Cholecystectomy, went into theatre with underwear on, got back to the ward before realising they were missing!

14 months prior I had a lap appendicectomy, went into theatre with underwear on, still on when I got back to ward!

So, why were they removed for the cholecystectomy?!

And, what heart rate (tachy) is considered a problem when coming round from general anaesthetic, and when twinned with atrial fibrillation?

[peridito]

Why do they tape eyelids shut during surgery ?

[ninalovesdragons]

@peridito to stop dust getting in your eyes if they remain open. If you have a Bell's palsy when your eyelid loses its function you also have to tape them shut for the same reason; to protect your eye itself

[DustyMcDustbuster]

Thank you for doing this AMA!!

My son has had over 20 GAs - bilateral hip displaysia (loads of surgical intervention), undescended testes.... etc. I wanted to say that as a parent the most terrifying thing was seeing him “go to sleep” - it felt like watching someone pass away. But the anaesthetists & staff with them were always incredibly supportive. (This was mostly at GOSH).

I wanted to ask - PP mentioned sleep apnoea & I use a CPAP machine. Would that alter how anaesthetic would be managed in future surgery? I am awaiting ankle fusion.

Also - I had reconstruction to very badly broken nose (assault) & was told the surgery was much more difficult than anticipated due to what they found. Is that type of surgery as brutal as orthopaedic surgery? Did they use hammers & chisels? Lol.

[RocketPockets]

@SimplySteve I'm an ODP in theatres.
Do you know if you had a catheter at any point? Some surgeons like patients to have an in & our catheter prior to surgery after you've been anaesthetised. Some surgeons like the drapes low down so to avoid your underwear getting any of the skin prep on they may have removed them (it's hard to get out of clothes).
They wouldn't have removed them unless there was a good reason to, I often hear theatre workers say they're going to put the patients underwear back on at the end as it can be distressing to wake with nothing on.

[RocketPockets]

@peridito to stop them drying out & a lot of people don't close their eyes when they're anaesthetised so like a pp said to avoid dust or a corneal abrasion when moving you whilst anaesthetised.

[RocketPockets]

@DustyMcDustbuster
I don't know anything about ENT surgery so can't answer that one.
Patients who use a CPAP machine are often asked to bring it in with them in case it's needed in recovery whilst you're waking up. In my experience it's never affected the type of anaesthetic you have :)

[Ftumch]

Is a urinary catheter standard when having a general anaesthetic?

[RocketPockets]

@Ftumch no not always. Only if the surgery your having requires one or if the surgeon wants you to have one. It's normally something that will be discussed beforehand or put as a possible procedure on your consent form. Sometimes it's needed during surgery due to unforeseen circumstances.

[Ftumch]

@rocketpockets, thank you. I'm having a laparoscopy for endo at some point and the thought of having a catheter is freaking me out! I had bad experience of having one removed after I gave birth.

[NewYoiker]

@Ftumch no, it's only really necessary if the surgeon wants to do uteral stents so they can see where the ureters are when operating (work in surgical oncology theatres doing planned operations)

[NewYoiker]

I have to say that In 4 months I have never scrubbed in on a surgery where the patient kept their underwear on; however the hospital I work for only does urology, Gynae, plastics and colorectal oncology type procedures that are really big so maybe it's just the type of procedures we do require underwear off and catheter placed in every one of them.

[mawbroon]

I had my ankle pinned and plated years ago. I was heavily pregnant, so they did it under local with no sedation.

Later on, I was in to have the metalwork removed and asked for another local because I didn't really fancy a general.

They obliged, but would that have been a pain in the arse for them?

[FundayFriday]

Great thread.

Does communication between ward staff and surgeons need improving?

I was told I could keep my contact lenses in. The anaesthetist was not pleased with me.

What nonsense things have people said when they come round from surgery?

Thank you for the work you do.

[RocketPockets]

@mawbroon you'd have probably had a block anyway even under a general but there would just have been the risk of the bullock not working and you then needing a general anyway. It's sometimes nicer having regional anaesthetic rather than a full general sometimes for us as well as the patient!

[RocketPockets]

@FundayFriday I'm not sure about between surgeons and ward staff tbh.

The contact lens thing is anaesthetist preference I think. I've had patients keep them in with no problems and other anaesthetists and sometimes surgeons insist on them being taken out.

[ginghamstarfish]

While I was having surgery a few years back, I could hear people talking, sawing, banging noises etc ... wouldn't the anaesthiologist be able to tell if the patient is not sufficiently asleep? It makes me a bit anxious about next time ....