SURGERY DAY 11-HALSTEAD

"Surgery would be delightful if you didn't have to operate" - W.S. Halstead

Most surgeons are happy to be in the operating room. We can do dramatic surgeries, effect changes and are in control. But that doesn't mean we always want to do surgeries. The best surgeons know when to say no.  At the NCH, I am always encountering the most difficult cases-patients who have had surgery multiple times before or who have been elsewhere and told that surgery is too difficult or 'impossible'. We are often the hospital of last resort. Many times we tackle these cases and we get  good outcomes-sometimes not so good. But, it is hard to tell a patient that you have nothing to offer them-except a prayer.

Theo

A new team member has arrived-Theo Ezeonwumelo. Theo did medical school training at the University of Port harcourt and is doing surgery training at the Federal Medical Center Umuahia. He is a fourth year resident now. He came to work with me in June, 2011 and is back. Theo is a very pleasant and humble chap, like his attending Dr. Mike Enyinnah. We are glad to have him.








To date, we have done 71 surgeries-many are still waiting. We started today with an incarcerated hernia. Next, we did an unusual case, a term pregnancy with a giant ovarian cyst. The cyst was twice the size of the term uterus. We attacked the cyst first and it exploded all over the operative field. Gallons of fluid poured out. We removed the cyst,  then we did the CS. We followed this case with a giant goiter, 400 grams. Several more surgeries were done but they are all starting to blend together. Dr. Uche is returning in the morning and we have some big surgeries scheduled.

Term preganancy with giant ovarian cyst

Drained ovarian cyst