american college of surgeons has published a really interesting article and with which I feel totally connected. One night in any hospital a traumatologist was on duty. The pager rings and when he gets to the emergency room, a young man is lying unconscious on a stretcher, badly injured. He has suffered a run over and both the pelvic and abdominal regions are unrecognizable. He is a delivery man who is hit by a garbage truck during his work shift with fatal consequences.
Surgeon, let’s say his name is smith, is the shift leader of the team on duty that night. Perhaps because of the age of the injured person, or because of the inconsolable cries of his family that can be heard on the other side of the aisle, or because he does not know the reason, which case is specifically involved. Order left and right. He even ends up pushing the stretcher himself to radiology to evaluate the injuries.
After visualization of TAC there is no other option but to act immediately. the bladder has burst; part of the colon is left on the road and the pelvis is a it’s hard to put the puzzle together, The surgeon assembles his team, talks anesthesia, and prepares the patient for the most important battle; In which he will fight for his life. The surgery went on all night. It was definitely the most complicated this surgeon has done. Rebuilding all of the structures so damaged is like trying to reattach a nut that broke after a hammer blow.
However, he was found. Exhausted but happy, he has not only avoided the worst but also believes that the patient, after months of rehabilitation, will be able to lead a dignified life. so he told family in the waiting roomThe one who embraces the surgeon bathed in tears as if God himself is Dr. Smith came down from heaven to operate on his son.
When he reached home he could not sleep. The adrenaline was still coursing through his veins and he reenacted the entire intervention again and again. He reviewed each gesture, each point and each maneuver a thousand times. The next day, he didn’t have an appointment but decided to go to the hospital. He was alert in the ICU, He still needed very important drugs and high doses, without which his heart would not be able to function on its own. He sat down next to the young man and looked at the contents of the drains, the urine bag, and the screen. The patient is connected to a thousand tubes, colored cables and machines that emit sounds more akin to a space movie than a hospital.
Thus it was morning and while leaving Unit, the family recognized him and were quick to ask about the victim. – “It’s been 12 hours and it’s stuck. He has barely shed blood and is standing in the first round. There is hope”, he remarked, speaking slowly to make sure they understood the message.
The young man’s mother, a wrinkly, thin woman with weak but strong hands, embraces Dr. Smith. It only comes up to chest height but the doctor notices Thankfulness Judging by the pressure of the hug. Days pass and the situation repeats itself until one day, the young man wakes up when Smith arrives for his daily appointment. This is the first time the surgeon heard the young man’s voice. He doesn’t remember anything. he is scared. She has never seen herself in another and the first thing she asks is if she will be able to walk again. Smith looks at her and nods, warning her that it won’t be easy. The young man will go to the plant tomorrow after going through the test results and talking to those responsible for the UCI.
The family has made some kind of arrangement except the waiting room Breakfast And they include Smith, who can’t resist. They are very humble people, but they have brought everything they own as a token of appreciation. His son is going to the plant tomorrow, Smith proudly announces. They all huddle around the doctor as if he is Messi scoring the winning goal in the World Cup final.
It’s Christmas Eve. smith resting Christmas And when he returns, his heart almost freezes. The young man has been re-intubated and is looking bad. – “It is an internal infection that has spread through the blood. He has septic shock” – his intensive care team mates tell him. Smith insists on operating again to try and clear out the infection, but they advise against it. He is too weak to stand for two minutes .
He walks heavily towards the waiting room where they are informed of the bad news. Now there is no party, there is no joy. fear and anguish fly in the room, Smith completes his shift and stays with them, going in and out.
The news is bad, getting worse and one day the hospital asks him to come as soon as possible. As soon as he reaches, lights and machines are ringing around the young man like a fair. Those voices don’t portend anything good. The young man died a few hours later., His kidney stopped working and the infection won the day.
The doctor, dumbfounded, tells the family the results. They all hug him and console him., It’s broken. They are broken. Smith swears and swears that he will never work again. He doesn’t want to go through the same thing again. After the patient, the surgeon has been the “second victim” of the accident. His regret is that he has made some kind of mistake that led to the infection. Maybe if he had done it differently, maybe he would have been alive… He tortures himself.
the following months are a mood roller coasterPain, depression, anxiety. Leave from work and consultation with a psychotherapist. After several seasons he was diagnosed with “second victim syndrome”. As the weeks went on, Smith was slowly able to ease back into his routine.
the article says that 80% of practicing surgeons have suffered from this syndrome at some point, And with COVID, many doctors too. Colleagues who were forced by circumstances to make decisions beyond their control, such as deciding who is on a ventilator and who is going to die.
that’s medicine too This is the other side of medicine, Faculty doesn’t prepare you for this, there is nothing to prepare you for this. I’ve also suffered “second victim syndrome” in my body, but that’s a story for another article.
