What's the most amazing thing you've seen in the OR?

Specialties Operating Room

Published

As a student, I had to work in the OR(well, we call it OT where I'm from).

I worked as a scrub nurse that day. The patient was having a penile cancer removed. I was fine at first, but after I saw that the entire member and scrotum had to be removed, I'd started to loose my nerve :bluecry1:.

The doctors noticed that I was starting to sweat, so they tried to talk me through it, (and being that they were males) and joked abit saying 'Hey, if WE can get through it, YOU, will have to too'.

After that it was not so bad. I just tried my best to relax and concentrated on passing the right instruments and not on the guy loosing his package!( Hey I was mortified!!) :chair:

I've never seen anything like that in my LIFE!!!

SO....... go ahead and share your OR story, what have you seen that amazed you?!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

A guy that slashed his own throat and lived to tell about it.

A man that had a subdural hematoma who was expectred to die, who called 2 days later and said he's doing great.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was working in an OR in Texas. I was scrubbed, the circ. was a new grad. in training for the OR. I don't even remember what the case was anymore, but she had to insert a foley cath. She frog legged the MAN and opened her kit, realized that his member was under part of his thigh. She moved his leg more and still no end in sight, she's RED now and trying to fish this thing out from under the patient. He was laying on it under his entire buttocks. By the time she got it out and tryed to insert the foley, she looked as though she had gone through a down pour rain storm, sweat dripping, the poor new grad., the foley cath was too short!! He was that long, should have been in pictures. The patient was freed from himself and the new grad asked to be relieved. I remained scrubbed in trying to hold back the chuckles of the situation. I bet new grad. will never forget this.:penguin:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Aside from a surgeon shaking like a leaf :eek: . . . A patient with priaprism who had to be brought to the OR for therapy to aspirate blood from the corpus cavernosum.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

When I was a student and doing my little stay in OR, I saw a breast cancer patient, who had put off a doctor's visit and treatment until the cancer had grown outward from the chest, I would say about 8-12 inches.

Maybe a bit further.

It has been a long time, but I can still see it.

It had multiple tumors all around it.

I don't remember what happened to the lady. No doubt, she's deceased by now for sure, but may not have survived very long after surgery.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

when i was a student on ob rotation, i got to see a c-section it was so cool because at the time i was expecting twins and had already had two c-sections in the pass..

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR RN Circulator, Scrub; Management.

A vegetable removed during an exploratory laparotomy that had perforated the patient's colon...........never would have imagined!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

OH MY GOSH!!!!

Great stories!!!!!!!

Thanks for sharing :monkeydance:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Aside from a surgeon shaking like a leaf :eek: . . .

:lol2: Remind me of a general surgeon who was doing an inguinal hernia but consulted Uro since the guy had a testicular lump. As Dr Uro poised his scalpel to do a wedge biopsy of the testicle, Dr General remained scrubbed but crossed his knees, twisted his body (like a kid who really needs to pee) dropped his cleched hands a little lower, and shouted "For the love of God, Man!" First time I thought we'd need to catch an experienced surgeon! Of course I have a similar posture and the same thought goes through my head when I have to watch a breast aug :lol2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The worse thing I ever saw was a ten year old boy who had to have his burn dressings changed under anesthesia. He had suffered over 80% first, second and third degree burns over his body. What was even more amazing was he survived and grow into a young man. The most enjoyable experience I ever had was as circulating nurse. Our arrogant Chief Resident hit his had on the op light. He initial continued to put his gloves on. I told him he would have to go out and do a scrub again. He hemmed and hawed. Then said he would go out and do a two minute scrub. I told him if he did that, there wouldn't be anyone in the room when he came back. And the aneslogist(?) backed me up.

Grannynurse:balloons:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

The most amazing thing I've ever seen in OR was when I was a surgical secretary, they brought me a specimen dish and told me to see what they'd removed from someone's abdomen... it was HORRIFYING! It was a lump of tissue, with hair, a couple of teeth, and a milky blue EYE! They said it was a dermoid cyst, it was the worst thing (and most amazing) that I had ever seen.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
The most amazing thing I've ever seen in OR was when I was a surgical secretary, they brought me a specimen dish and told me to see what they'd removed from someone's abdomen... it was HORRIFYING! It was a lump of tissue, with hair, a couple of teeth, and a milky blue EYE! They said it was a dermoid cyst, it was the worst thing (and most amazing) that I had ever seen.

yep I had one of those removed from myself. Hair teeth and sweatglands and the size of a large orange. I was 3 mos preggers w/ my son at the time and NOTHING I said could convince the older members of my family that it wasn't some kind of misshapen twin that had to be removed.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment