Some Reflections

Looking back to surgery several ideas still strike me.

• First was the fact that it takes a lot, repeat A LOT of support of all kinds to get you into, through, and out of surgery.
  

It started with the admissions persons helping us all get to the right place. Then there were the hospitality people who took each group to the operating staging area. I was greeted by some assistant who gave me instructions. A chaplain came in and introduced herself and the chaplain's services after I had gotten out of my street clothes and into The Gown. Next the nurse came and did the questions that needed to be asked. Finally, stage one came to an end with another nurse came to take me to the pre-op room. We walked. That was six individuals helping me in the first hour in the hospital.

Then there were three nurses, the surgeon's nurse, the resident, and two anesthesiologists while in pre-op. It was the anesthesiologist who put my IV in and then took me to the OR. Now we are at 13 people.

I was aware of how relatively small the OR was. Since I was only having a relatively easy back surgery I guess the bigger size wasn't needed. While I was still awake in the OR there was a technician working on some wire connections at the wall at my feet and another technician getting things ready. That brought the total to 15. Then came the first drugs and ....

So that means for little old me there were 15 people involved in my care before surgery even started. How many were there with the doctor and then to take me back to the (now) post-op and finally to my room? No idea but I can vaguely remember three at the end. Not including the doctor and the actual OR staff, that came to 18 different people in the 6 hours between walking in the hospital and going to my room.

I know that there are 8 operating rooms in the neurosurgery hallway and 60 overall in the hospital. Being conservative if even half of those were empty (doubtful) that could mean a minimum of 30 operations with a minimum of 18 people taking care of those in the ORs. That would be 540 people at work in direct support of all the little old people like me.

(Not included would be the maintenance staff cleaning up the pre-op for turning it into a post-op, hallway cleanliness, computer techs, etc. etc.)

No wonder it costs so much for quality health care! It takes people- and people cost money. I for one wouldn't want to cut any of that. I for one am grateful that there are people who can do these kinds of jobs and take care of all the little old people like me. Who is qualified to decide who gets what kind of care? Who is ready to play God in those situations? Insurance companies do a lot of that. Doctors sure don't want to play that role. Government shouldn't be making those decisions.

No wonder it's such a quagmire of politics.

• The second reflection was the electronic support all this took. Lying on the gurney in the pre-op room I could see all the wires and tubes coming out of the back of the station at my bedside. That was one of at least 30 stations in the area used for both pre- and post-op. And it connects to the whole system throughout the hospital. It is why today more is being done more quickly and efficiently than ever before.

As an outsider, visitor, pastor, counselor and now patient (for the first time in 50 years) I have watched the whole health care system change. I have seen open heart surgeries and brain tumor operations become second nature. To watch it from this side was humbling, exciting, and greatly reassuring.

More thoughts as they come