Driving the Camera

No, it’s not some obscure scrapbook term used by my dear mom, nor is it anything like driving Miss Daisy. No, “driving the camera” refers to the duty given to medical students if they happen to be lucky enough to “scrub in” on a laparoscopic surgery. Usually this responsibility is only bestowed upon third and fourth- year students on their clinical rotations, but while tagging along on surgery rounds on Monday afternoon, the resident mentioned that the clinical students would be in a special lecture early Tuesday morning, and asked me if I wanted to come and “drive the camera.” Well, the choice was between 4 hours of pathology lecture (my normal second-year Tuesday schedule) or getting to experience my first operation (other than observing), on the right side of the table, so to speak. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity and spent Monday night studying up on “driving” technique and hoping I wouldn’t kill the poor patient by sticking the camera in some important vessel or structure.

Laparoscopic surgery carries an advantage over traditional “open” surgery in that the incisions are generally much smaller, the surgery is less traumatic to the patient, and the recovery time is shortened and less painful. The case is carried out by inserting a camera and 3-5 operating instruments through “ports” placed in small incisions in the body. The camera’s point of view is projected on the mobile plasma screens throughout the OR, and is relied upon by the 2-3 other surgeons as they maneuver their instruments in the body, through the small ports.

The surgery (a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, or gall bladder removal) went well, and I performed my duty by keeping the operating field in the center of the screen for the two surgeons involved in the case. I watched other cases during the day, but none of them was as exciting as the first one in which I actually took part! I’m definitely looking forward to next year, when “driving” will become second nature.

~Micah

Comments

[Aunt Bet]

Very exciting, Micah! I wonder who was driving the camera when I had my gall bladder removed!! I didn't know there had to be such a person, but I was surely glad to get that offending gall bladder out of me after suffering through several attacks.

Glad you got to experience a little more of what you hope to do in the future.

[Tammy]

Thanks for sharing your experience.I never knew about driving the camera.A couple questions-what kind of music was palying in the background?Was it too bad?The reason i ask is I had back surgery a couple years ago and I had a Christian doctor.He told me after the surgery he played Steve Curtis Chapman during the surgery.I had requested Christian music.The doctor did tell me that at times he lets the techs pick out the music because they don't like his music.At least in few more years,Dr.Girotti will have Christian music playing.

[Chris]

Sounds like a very interesting day!! I always liked the real "hands on " stuff in nursing school! :)

A side note to comment on Tammy's post... I read this quote in a book I have been rereading. It documents the effects of a "Christian Rock" tape that played during surgery on a seventeen year old girl. She was having a benign tumor removed from her right index finger. The quote states:
"In the middle of the surgery, the nurse came running down from the operating room to ask me (the mother) if our daughter had ever had heart problems. SHe really never let me answer before she tried to assure me not to panic, although the heart monitor indicated dangerous heart problems. The doctors planned an EKG after the surgery. I wondered if the Lord had allowed the lump to grow on her finger so we could discover the heart problem before it became serious. About 45 minutes later, the doctor wheeled our daughter into the recovery room where I was and they were all laughing. They explained that as soon as Debbie's headset clicked off, her heart rhythm as revealed by the monitor went back to normal . They also said they were sending these details to a national board for review. Our daughter was listening to a 'Christian rock' tape called 'Beyond Belief' as she was in surgery. The staff in the operating room all agreed that what happened was'beyond belief'. It is also interesting that just two days before the surgery, we had advised our daughter to listen to traditional Christian music, but she didn't."

Interestingly , the book goes on to give another example of the same disturbing effects on this kind of music on babies in the womb. If anyone is interested the book is titled "How to conquer the Addition of Rock Music" Written by Youth Who Have Found Freedom. Some of the "chapter" titles include: Do youths believe that rock music is addictive?, How was rock music used to persecute Believers?, How have young people regained 'ground'?, Is music Amoral?, Does rock music have a satanic origin?, What about sincere Rock performers?, What constitutes 'Contributing to Deliquency'?, How are churches liable for deliquency?, Did MArtin Luther use contemporary music?....

We need to remember as believers that God intructs us not have even the appearance of evil, that light cannot dwell with darkness and that we are to "love not the world neither the things of the world..." Guess I'll close now, my kids say I've started preaching. :)
( Deb, I may have just gone past the lines of proper posting manners?? Not sure if I'm allowed to write so much?? :) Oh well....)
Chris

[Micah]

Not sure what kind of music was playing in the OR while I was there. They just built an additonal OR wing here at UVA and the new OR's all have stereo systems/speakers built in. I've never actually been in a surgery where the music was loud enough to be heard unless you held your ear right up to the speaker, unless there's a superstitious surgeon who has a particular CD he likes played during cases. When I worked at the Williamsburg hospital, there was an ortho guy who would always bring his ancient CD player in and pop in a Vivaldi CD. Just his way of doing it I guess.

I haven't seen patients being allowed to bring headphones into surgery, but no doubt music affects us physically...here's a Swedish study about calm music used post-operatively...bottom line, less pain and anxiety, lower levels of stress hormones, and less morphine used, in patients who were played calm music in the recovery room versus no music played. It's David playing the harp for Saul all over again! :)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15816586&query_hl=1
...Wouldn't be surprised to see the opposite effects if rock music was used.

I usually listen to classical piano music when I study, it really helps me concentrate.