Surgical operating staff, I was wondering…?

[MuchuseasaChocolateTeapot]

Back story: I had a Caesarian 20 years ago and it was nothing like you see on telly with sheets covering you and a small area of skin exposed, my nightie was hoiked up, the privacy screen erected above my boobs and I was stark bollock naked from the little screen downwards. There were 14 people in the room, excluding me and DH, I was delivering premature twins so was grateful for all the precautions but there were two guys on my left (everyone else to my right) who were literally just standing there chatting and joking with each other, they didn’t seem to be students paying attention and to be honest looked a bit rough. They played no part with me or babies so not a clue why they were there! I was just lying there for at least half an hour basically naked and visibly shivering while spinal was being administered. I obviously had bigger things to worry about but I remember thinking how exposed I felt. The caesarean was fairly brutal too, no pain but I was being shoved about a lot more than I expected. My daughter even sustained an torticollis on delivery, unheard of in caesarean sections and it wasn’t an emergency c section! And obviously this wasn’t under general anaesthetic.

I am going into hospital for a hysteroscopy op and biopsy under GA tomorrow (have very awkward cervix and womb), I’m not looking forward to it, I have had it done before and woke up in more pain than I’ve ever been in, despite Fentanyl and Morphine, goodness knows what they had been doing, and they weren’t able to complete it, but want to try again.

I guess what I’m asking is, is there any dignity maintained for the patient in the operating room and how roughly are they manhandled when unconscious? I have no complaints and no axe to grind. Just curious. (Obviously not talking intricate brain or heart surgery), just the more everyday ops.

sorry for essay.

I have this procedure every 6 months (yay cancer) and it’s a breeze. For me I go onto the ward and wait around to meet everyone, do a pregnancy test and stuff. Then I get wheeled to theatre. There they recheck my name, start attaching their monitors and insert a cannula. I then breath oxygen for a few mins and get knocked out. Usually 3 people in the room.

then I wake up in recovery and I am there about an hour whilst they monitor me. Sometimes I need a heated blanket because I’m shaking.

I don’t think about what angles they have to put me in in theatre. I don’t actually see the operating area just the pre-room.

Would love to know what a medical person says happens!

hope it goes well x

Patients aren't manhandled when they are unconscious. Some go down on their hospital beds. Some are moved onto the theatre table using slide sheets. Patients ime are covered except for the surgical site where they are covered with surgical drapes. How are they doing your op. ? Keyhole. You can speak to the anaesthetic before the op to discuss pain relief

I have only ever seen a patient treated with complete dignity when under anaesthetic and in theatre. In my experience staff take great care over this.

Your previous experience sounds bad but 16 people in the theatre suite seems a lot

Patients are treated with dignity. They are only exposed when necessary. There are frequently quite large numbers of people in the room for example trainee staff and runners ( unscrubbed staff who can get kit) . On average there are 6-8 staff members in theatre.

I had an emergency c section 21 years ago and they definitely covered me with the green sheet and the sticky plastic window which they cut through. It has extra side things to contain the amniotic fluid. We have photos of Ds half out of me so you can see it. With twins there will be more people in the theatre. I was exposed whilst they coated my stomach with I think iodine, the they draped me with the surgical sheets. I was treated with utter kindness considering I was rushed in and in a panic.

I think for them it is their day to day life, for us it is mortifying and I am sorry this happened to you. I would let them know your concerns before you go under. I have had a general for a gynae procedure and I did feel violated because I knew they would be doing things inside my vagina. But I understood it was medically necessary and before and after I again was treated with kindness. I hope you are too.

Thank you for your responses. I’m not worried about dignity particularly, the anaesthetist last time asked if I was okay with her inserting a Fentanyl suppository whilst I was asleep and I said “of course, it’s worse for you than it is for me!” I just wondered given my experience when I was awake how one is treated when unconscious, especially as I am no light weight and can’t be the easiest to move around when I’m not co-operating!

Hi OP,
From my experience, I've only ever been treated with dignity and respect. I has a c-section (planned) 2 years ago and there were about 12 members of staff present...we told their roles and why they were there and the explanations/reasoning we perfectly reasonable.
I don't think patients are manhandled when they're unconscious (not from my understanding from friends who work in theatre) and maintaining dignity and respect is a paramount principle.
Good luck with your procedure, I hope it goes well for you!

Hi OP If it's twins then they need a team for each twin and a team for you. Hence all the people.

I had my c-section 10 years ago and it sounds very similar! Lots pushing around of me to get my stuck baby out.

Ex theatre nurse here
They are likely to have been theatre assistants, get equipment from store, mop up after, empty bins etc

Never have I seen a patient be treated with anything other than respect and dignity
Like PP said, it is usually only the surgical site exposed

There won't be 16 people looking up your vag for A hysteroscopy, at the 'business end' will likely be your consultant, a scrub nurse and possibly a junior dr

I’m here now, met the surgeon and the anaesthetist (who was lovely and listened to my concerns about pain experienced last time).

@MissMoneyFairy no keyhole. Speculum up the hoo-ha which I find excruciating when awake for some reason. Possibly due to scar tissue from two previous caesarean cuts, I don’t know.

I’m not particularly worried about my dignity this time, I know there is a med student taking part and that’s fine, I’m just an anonymous body to them. I think the caesarean I had with my twins wasn’t a good experience, being so exposed, the doctor delivering didn’t speak to me once. The anaesthetist was brusque and no-one told me what was happening. They took my son away without showing him to me, I didn’t see him for 3 hours. I suppose it was a pretty dehumanising experience and it’s left me a little vulnerable when it comes to feeling out of control of my body. But I got my two beautiful children from it so no real complaints!

thanks to all who responded

Ugh I had a bad experience with an instrumental delivery in theatre. Very exposed (obviously) and lots of people (inc men) just stood around chatting but not staying head end at all. Nobody explained who anybody was before or after, nobody seemed to hear me or answer my questions, it was clear that dignity and privacy was not a consideration unfortunately.

Sending you positive thoughts for your op and hope it all goes well and you're home soon . Deep breath and it'll all be over soon.

@pooballs I’m so sorry, I’m
sure the staff would be mortified if they knew (or maybe not idk!). Some sensitivity training needed I think. Someone had stuck a poster up in our local hospital called the patients’ charter, it was very moving, all about how patients can be scared and/or in pain. I’ll try and find it in a bit. Not blaming hospital staff, I have heard none stop moaning from patients plenty of times!

@MissMoneyFairy thank you for your kind message, it went very well I think. 2 polyps removed and colposcopy seemed to be okay. I love a general anaesthetic but I really struggled to wake up. Home now with a cup of tea as have incredibly sore throat and dry mouth. Heading for a sleep.

thank you all for keeping me company xxx

Glad to hear you're home, enjoy your tea and get some rest x