Any surgeons?

[interestedcat]

I have a question - do surgeons ever take breaks in long surgeries? To use the toilet for example and eat/drink?
How do you stand for so long?
Just curious

Having had some very long surgeries, I'm also interested to know the answer, particularly in the private sector where no junior doctors assist.

That’s a good question, I have no idea! What if they need the loo and it’s a 4 hour surgery?

Yes my husband takes breaks. Some of his surgeries are 14 hours long!

I am not a surgeon but have been present as a member of the surgical team in many. Yes, surgeons can and do leave theatre / take breaks during long surgeries and but they have to be extraordinary circumstances (a 4hr surgery is not long really) as scrubbing out and back in again is a pain in the bum. Most surgeons and theatre staff have bladders of steel. If they absolutely have to leave do need a have to go before the surgery is complete, they will usually get past the crucial point and then hand over to the next most senior staff member in the room to continue in their absence, then pick up when they return (or not). Theatre is excruciating is on the back. Big orthopaedic surgeries to assist in are the worst ime (heavy, lots of static standing in difficult, leaning positions).

Most private surgeries are short electives and so no one needs to leave.

Sorry, I made a hash of part of that. It should have said,

”If they absolutely need a wee/ have to go before the surgery is complete, they will usually get past the crucial point and then hand over to the next most senior staff member in the room to continue in their absence, then pick up when they return (or not).”

I believe period pants were first invented by a female surgeon who needed to be able to stay in theatre longer than her existing sanitary protection permitted.

No idea, but I once had to tie a surgeons scrubs back up , that was embarrassing.

No they don't. It's absolutely gruelling. My DH has assisted on a few 8/10 hour surgeries just holding a retractor and it's brutal. My arm aches after 10 mins!

DH is a surgeon. He doesn't take toilet breaks or eat/drink.

a relative is a scrub nurse.
they din't take a break for anything up to 4 hours unless waiting for specialist input. but even then it's sitting down, taking a zip in the non-sterile zone. not scrubbing out.

Unless it’s an absolute emergency you do the job.
I often won’t drink if I know it’s going to be a long stint.

Yes they do. They swap in and out with their juniors/ our consultant colleagues sometimes doing parts. Same as the anaesthetists do.

Doi: anaesthetist

I love this. So pragmatic.

Oh but yeah 4 hours for one op they would stay all the way through, I'm talking 12-14 hour ops..

I have only seen it during really long surgeries... 8 hours plus.

I'm s scrub nurse but obviously not as hard core in my hospital as the other staff above.

Anything up to about 6 hours and no, there's no breaks. Just pee beforehand and maybe grab a cereal bar or something depending on the time we start.

I also scrub for those surgeries that are up to 15/16 hours. They tend to have two teams so that people can scrub in or out and have comfort or food breaks. One surgeon I work with schedules a 30 minute break into the operation after about 7 hours so that everyone can recharge. He stops at a safe part of the case and leaves the patient in the care of the anaesthetist. He's the only one I work with who does this.

We all sit at different stages of the operation - we have stools with no back, where the height can be controlled by a foot pedal so we can stay sterile.

Yes, my ex husband is a surgeon .They do not take many breaks but still do. Sometimes a break is needed to decide a further plan of action as it's often difficult to predict some of the eventualities that can happen during a long surgery. Breaks are needed to help with concentration too.

Fascinating thank you. Especially about the period pants, why in the world didn't I think if that (answer: because tv dramas don't mention that). It sounds like an utterly brutal physically challenging job not to mention intellectually and I'm sorry I didn't ask scrub nurses, anaesthetists, any else who has to be present in the operating theatre. How on Earth you do it I have no idea. Superhumans.

I think that approach sounds very sensible. We are encouraged to take breaks during a normal work day as it's good for your health and for your productivity/concentration. I would be concerned about someone operating on me for 13/14 hrs without a break! You cannot possibly be firing on all cylinders for that length of time.

Can any surgeons help me with a surgical wound question, please??! I really need a second opinion

Anything under 4hrs almost definitely not. Once had to leave when pregnant to puke in the scrub sink. Boss was deeply unimpressed.

I had surgery to remove a mole on my face by excision three days ago. I removed the wound dressing yesterday as instructed and noticed that there were three or four hairs trapped inside the stitched wound. I pulled on them gently but only managed to get one of them out: the other three hairs snapped and have been left inside the wound. The wound is healing quite well apart from some redness, swelling and tenderness just at the point where the hairs entered the wound (before they snapped). Should I be worried about this? I spoke to my surgeon who said it’s nothing to worry about, but I’m concerned that the wound is not going to heal properly while the hairs are left in there, and I’ll be left with an even worse scar. I’m on antibiotics already. Any surgeons on here who can give me a second opinion?

@Frankie2189 you need to start your own thread rather than digging one up from 2022!

Sorry, never used mumsnet before, just desperately trying to find advice