This is what I trained 6 years for at medical school - Yesterday I performed my first operation, and I'm glad to say it was a success! I carried out the repair of a youngish patients undisplaced fracture of his hip with cannulated screws. Of course I was heavily supervised by an SpR but he did let me do the entirety of the procedure, from making the first incision, through putting the guide wires in, drilling the holes, and putting the cannulated screws into the hip and then finally closing with some stitches. What topped it off though was the fact that the SpR said that doing cannulated screws is much harder than putting a DHS in. My ambition for this rotation was to have done a few DHS's as that is renowned as something SHOs are able to do in orthopaedics. I can't tell you how awesome it feels to have done something harder :)
I'm just praying he doesn't end up with avascular necrosis 4 weeks down the line!
Sometimes though I get the feeling that I will never know enough to be able to pass my surgical exams, or to ever be able to work in Africa full time. But looking back, I was the same during A levels, thinking I won't get into medical school etc etc. But yesterday I realised I could actually do this. I guess everyone sometimes feels like this though.
My daily reading today I thought was very apt: A surgeon was recalling the time he was scared before carrying out a surgical procedure - he read the opening lines of a surgical textbook that would tell him how to operate, 'A true surgeon is never fearless. he fears for his patients, he fears for his shortcomings, his own mistakes.'
The faith I have in my own abilities is actually my faith in God, He gave me those abilities and I constantly have to remind myself that He never gives us too much to handle.
PS I booked a snowboarding holiday at the end of Feb, I've never been before and am really looking forward to it :)
