OHS - Some questions

[Midpack]

Hi!

Just curious...
In a typical OHS, how many people are there aprox. in the operating room?
How many of them are cardiac surgeons?
Are all the surgery steps performed by the chief surgeon?
Or does the chief surgeon leave routine tasks to younger and less experienced surgeons (like opening your chest, for instance)? If that is the case, is he still present during the entire surgery (say 5 hours)?

 

[Tirone]

This is a typical set up:

1 attending cardiac surgeon, he's responsible for the procedure and will in most cases perform the crucial steps. Unless he's 100% sure that the resident can beginn and finish the procedure by himself, he will be in the OR the whole time.
1 cardiac surgery resident, possibly performing parts of the surgery depending on his postgraduate year and experience. (sternotomy, hooking up the heart lung machine, ...). He's there the whole time. Possibly an additional resident or med student assisting the big guys.

2-3 anesthesiologists, they usually also perform the transoesophageal echo. In some clinics a cardiologist will come in for that.
1 perfusionist, handling the heart lung machine
2 surgery techs (one sterile, the other one not)

That's about it. The teams can be a bit different from clinic to clinic.

 

[T in YVR]

I had about 8 or 9 people in the room when they took me in. I think Tirone has the breakdown right. There was 1 surgeon for me. I specifically asked my surgeon well in advance of the operation if he does everything (i.e. everything the surgeon typically handles) or whether he has a resident do any portion of it. He told me he does it all, and that any cardiac surgeon residents "learn through their eyes". That made me more comfortable. I had 2 anesthesiologists including the head of the dept. which was nice. Its really as team of people that perform the operation - not just a surgeon with people passing him things, which is what they can make it look like on TV Before they took me in, I met my surgeon again, along with a couple OR nurses and the anesthesiologists. When the surgeon came into the OR, I was already prepped and knocked out, courtesy of the other members of the team/anesthesiologists. It was quite the high tech theater...
T

 

[clay_from_nj]

And, if you have some other work you want done (like some small cosmetic procedure, for instance) while you're under, ask in the OR and you might just get a freebie! :thumbup:

 

[Gail in Ca]

When I had my 1st surgery the surgeon told me he did it all. He was a private surgeon using Stanford hospital. No residents came in before or after to see me.
For my 2nd and 3rd surgeries, the chief surgical resident in cardiothoracic surgery helped Dr. Miller. This is a chief resident that is soon to be on his own. They were not young men.
My 3rd surgery was a 2 surgeon job according to my cardiologist. I have complete faith in Dr. Miller and anyone he picks for his team.
My post surgical notes stated that Dr. Miller was present, so I would imagine that if the surgeon isn't present it has to be stated.
I know the surgical resident helping Dr. Miller is not just looking at what is being done. They are very capable and ready to do their job alongside the big guy or he wouldn't have them in there. I remember seeing the surgery room before I was put under and was amazed at how unlike I thought it would look. Also, the chief surgical resident was the one who checked on me in ICU and then every morning at 7am in CCU.
My surgeries have all gone extremely well. I don't have a problem with chief residents assisting my surgeon.

 

[AZ Don]

I can't say how many were in the room, I was asleep ;-) I can tell you that my surgeon said that he would be doing the entire procedure and the only type of surgical task that he would delegate was perhaps taking an artery from my leg if needed to graft my coronary artery if needed to re-attach to my aortic graft (it wasn't necessary).

 

[ottagal]

This is a typical set up:

1 attending cardiac surgeon, he's responsible for the procedure and will in most cases perform the crucial steps. Unless he's 100% sure that the resident can beginn and finish the procedure by himself, he will be in the OR the whole time.
1 cardiac surgery resident, possibly performing parts of the surgery depending on his postgraduate year and experience. (sternotomy, hooking up the heart lung machine, ...). He's there the whole time. Possibly an additional resident or med student assisting the big guys.

2-3 anesthesiologists, they usually also perform the transoesophageal echo. In some clinics a cardiologist will come in for that.
1 perfusionist, handling the heart lung machine
2 surgery techs (one sterile, the other one not)

That's about it. The teams can be a bit different from clinic to clinic.

Yes to the above and add one or two OR nurses.
In my case there were no residents, just the 'main surgeon' and other cardiac surgeon with him. However, there was a resident anesthesiologist there.

 

[Jkm7]

Both of my surgeries with the same surgeon, he wrote in the surgical report he was present in OR the whole time.

 

[pellicle]

(like some small cosmetic procedure, for instance) while you're under, ask in the OR and you might just get a freebie! :thumbup:

I'm afraid that the facial work needed to make me into a Leonardo DeCaprio is going to require more than that ;-)