IAmA surgeon in training. I've seen and touched (almost) all the human organs. Most of the pictures you see as NSFW gore is what I see and do everyday. Ask me anything.

On behalf of every nurse on the planet, I'd like to ask a very important question.

Why are the majority of surgeons such assholes?

I guess I come in the minority(hopefully) . But to be honest, I guess it comes from a bit of a God complex that most surgeons tend to have .

Reminds me of a surgeon joke...

What's the difference between a surgeon and God?

God doesn't think he's a surgeon.

Nice one. Have heard it before though.....many times...unfortunately, it's quite true.

And it seems to be a vicious cycle...from what I've seen they're the meanest to their medical students. Sometimes just downright degrading. It's awful.

Well, the place I'm training has some of the most polite surgeons who r really nice to their students. Hope I continue the trend.

Medical student here!

I largely hate surgeons. The nice ones stand out and are lovely, but they are a goddamn rarity.

What annoys me about the hate-filled mean surgeons is that they often expect medical students to be keen and to read up loads about particular procedures they're performing but then continue to be the biggest assholes in the planet, thus killing any motivation for me to even consider being interested in what they do. Then they get upset that medical students don't engage well with them.

Sad that u see so many strict surgeons . However, we can be a really cool bunch( atleast I'd like to believe so)

I'd have to speak about this as well. Disclaimer, I'm not a surgeon.

But OP is right it's partially a God complex. But I also feel it's learning how to be a surgeon is what wrecks them. Everything has to be perfect. Every value, measurement, the time timetable, their tools, their help, and the patient prepping. Everything has to fall in line, everything has to be set up, perfectly. Now, when everything has to be perfect, everything has to be efficient...

Take this to the world outside the OR. People aren't perfect, their things they do aren't perfect. People aren't efficient, the way they do tasks and the way they live aren't efficient. This really pisses them off. If their staff isn't efficient, if tasks don't get done in a timely manner, if the way a certain employee or spouse does something isn't efficient, it begins to wear on them... Slowly... Because if he/she were that inefficient or accepted anything less of 'perfect' people would die, lose a limb, go blind, etc.

yes, true to some extent. as surgeons in training, we r always taught to be perfect and to have ,as one of my profs puts it, an OCD for perfection. you hit the nail on the head when u said that inside OR, everything has to be perfect whereas outside, it isn't. A surgeon often wants to do all the work himself in the most perfect way he can think of. however,since its impossible for the surgeon to do everything, nurses and junior surgeons are designated to do those things. since the other person may have a different style which may not be according to the senior's taste/expectations, they tend to get upset. whether it subconsciously gets carried over to everyday life, i don't know. maybe i will in another 10 years time.

God damn surgeons are arseholes. Anaesthetists on the other hand are generally up for a laugh. Strange.

A Downvote for u my dear sir.

Can you say, irony?

Irony. There, I said it.

Which organ is the bomb-diggidy when it comes to feeling.

heart. It responds to touch by altering its rhythm. have to be so careful around it

You should say something like that as a pick up line. Eg: Hey baby, I touch hearts. I can make your heart skip a beat - I promise i'll be gentle (so as not to give you arrhythmia).

already married. will let some of my single colleagues know though.

I had no idea. Is it altered by electrical impulse from the finger tips, or something else?

the heart muscle is really sensitive to any stimulus. and a touch is a huge physical stimulus.

how realistic is surgeon simulator 2013?

will try it and get back to u

Im a chef and 95% of the time I go home and cook ramen or eat cereal from a box because Ive been around food all day and Im over it, are you ever like 'not tonight honey, I cant help mentally dissecting you..'

nah, never happens to me

What is the longest surgery you have ever assisted in? and how do surgeons manage to stay bent over for those 8-10-12+ hour surgeries?

Liver transplant. 16 hrs. we take breaks in between or sometimes operate in teams.

Why does it take that long? I'm sure it's not an easy operation, but what on God's earth makes it take 16 hours?

So, in a nutshell - could you walk us through the basic steps of a liver transplant?

Let me say first that I've been involved in only one liver transplant and that too as a junior most assistant . This site describes liver transplants in very simple words. And basically I'm too lazy to type it all again, so u can get ur nutshell from here. http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/test_procedures/gastroenterology/liver_transplantation_procedure_92,P07698/

As for the particular case I'm referring to, A clot had formed in one of the blood vessels that was joined and hence it needed to be reopened and done again. maybe that's why it took longer than usual.

Does the brain smell?

We r wearing masks so can't be sure. But doesn't smell even close to some of the other stuff I've had to tolerate.

Whats the most foul smelling body part you've encountered then?:)

Some infected legs of diabetic patients.

So you are a surgeon in training and get to touch almost every organ? I think i know where you get your training from.

http://i.imgur.com/KE49gJq.jpg

too gory.

Have you ever had a case where you didn't know how to start / proceed at a certain time?

Happens a lot of the time( especially during the start of the career ) . The key is to realize that there r many things u don't know/ can't do . Unlike repairing a machine, the human body rarely gives second chances. So whenever u r stuck, asking for help is the right (and only) way to go about it.

Was there a desensitization process that you personally had to go through?

Not really. Though sometimes, when i stand back and look, Some of the things surgeons do are really inhuman. Like cutting off someone's leg or arm. However, I constantly remind myself that it's for the patient's good.if we don't do what is necessary, the patient will die .

This reminds me of a story a friend who's now an MLT told me. In training they dissected a deceased human baby, and when him and the other trainee arrived, they nervously asked the instructor where the cadaver was. The instructor replied with a casual "here it is", and grabbed the cadaver by the leg, and tossed it headfirst onto the dissection table like a piece of frozen chicken. My friend was mortified...

well, u have to detach yourself to some extent. but one should always respect the human body, dead or alive

Have you ripped a mans still beating heart from his chest?

no. I'm not a ripper.

Which organs have you not touched/seen?

haven't touched certain blood vessels. but as an organ, the spinal cord is one thing that i haven't touched with my own hands.(though I've assissted operations in close proximity to the spinal cord).

So you did touch testicles, right?

Touch them all the time. Have to do a complete examination of all patients. Have even removed a few

Dissected hands weird me out, is there a part of the body that makes you uncomfortable?

Brains. Its amazing to think that what is in front of you is basically that persons whole life, his memories, emotions, thoughts, all in that small organ.

And you could just squeeze it.

can't say that that thought never came to mind. one wrong move of ur hand and the patient could forget who his wife is. or could forget his first kiss.

one wrong move of ur hand and the patient could forget who his wife is

Open me up, brother. Just kidding!

She's dead.

Sorry for ur loss

How did you get into the work? Like, what made you want to do it?

Mostly, it was the ability to help people ( cliched as it may sound). Also, my dad is a surgeon so that also played a significant role .

what is your favorite blood vessel? i personally think the median cubital is pretty baller.

carotids rock.

Have you touched another man's penis?

yes, lots of times....

I was thinking about becoming a surgeon. What are the likes and dislikes of your job?

Lots of blood and gore. Can take it either as good or bad. But in the end, the biggest happiness is that usually ( though not always)patient gets almost instant solution to his problems ( as compared to a physician's treatment). The biggest disadvantage is that it's quite physically taxing and u need to continue to work hard physically even when u r older.

Why do operations take so long (like the 16 hour liver transplant operation you mentioned earlier)?

Sometimes, the technique is complex, sometimes , the surgeon is a bit unfamiliar with tether procedure and other times, it's due to intraoperative complications. Like at this stage of my career, a simple operation which a senior surgeon takes 20 min to do, I may take an hour or more. Also, There are two kinds of surgeons. One whi operate quite fast and others Who r slower but more meticulous

Strangest foreign body ever removed?

I've just done run of the mill stuff like insects from ears, coins from throats. haven't had any bulbs in assholes come to me yet.

Do you receive training on what happens if something goes wrong in surgery and someone dies? Do they tell you it happens to every surgeon at some point like TV shows seem to portray is the norm?

We learn on the job. because something does invariably goes wrong in certain surgeries. These r called complications and they happen to every surgeon. THere r reports of patients dying even with injection of local anaesthetics.

How important are steady hands for a surgeon? Do you really need machine accuracy or is that just a myth?

Well, in some fields, u can get away with a bit of tremors. However, I know some surgeons who have had their careers ended due to tremors of their hands.

Do you have a surgical specialism?

not yet. hope to do something in the future though.

What made you become a surgeon? And if you could do it all over, would you?

The fact that I enjoyed my surgical internship. ANd yes, I would definitely do it again.

Do you hold a lot of retractors in the same position for many hours?

Yes. And it's more difficult than it looks

Im a pre-med student and planning on doing some sort of surgery. Whether it is orthopedic, neuro or a general trauma surgeon. Any advice? If you could be any kind of surgeon, what would it be?

Right now, I'm kinda leaning towards urology or pediatric surgery.
My advice to u would be to do something that u would enjoy doing everyday .

If I can't hold my hand parallel to the ground completely still, should I give up on ever becoming a surgeon? Also sometimes I get shaky when nervous... but I play guitar and piano in a bands so I've gotten decent at stopping being nervous, and controlling my hands...

Why would u wanna hold my hand?? Everyone experiences some trembling of hands when nervous. However, it's not that difficult to steady ur hand.

How good are you at surgeon simulator?

never tried it.

I heard people from India have a genetic thing with the hearts. Like it has issues genetically or something. Is this true?

In my limited knowledge, the anatomy is essentially the same. However, how the heart responds to different stresses and stimuli( like high cholesterol etc) is known to vary among the various races.

ive always had an interest in learning to do sutures(extreme self first aid), any tips?

youtube...google....need i say more.

As a future surgeon,you must have a strong stomach. What is the most disgusting thing you have seen by your standards (which are no doubt much stronger than mine)?

http://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/1bcgda/intestines_coming_out_of_vagina_nsfl/ this was pretty close to the worst I've seen.

Do you see alot of older people switching to the medical profession or is it basically in it from the getgo? Ie someone in their 30s going to med school

haven't seen anyone coming to med school after being in another field. however, quite a few people do specialization at a later age.

Damn that bot is a COLD ASS MUTHA FUCKA

proof added

Damn u made me look like a dumb mutha fucka but that bot is still a cold mofo

got it bro. U R NOT A DUMB MUTHA FUCKA. The bot is

Oh why thank u kind sir

My pleasure

Are you an atheist? I ask this because a lot of doctors in India believe that if they can't do much to save a life, they leave it to god.

How does it impact you?

Romba nandri, saar!

I'm a strong believer in God and i have felt him guiding me in difficult surgeries.

*every day

It's actually two words in this context.

Nazis strike... care to elaborate on when its a single word and when is it 2?

Sure.

Everyday is an adjective that means commonplace, ordinary, or normal.

"These shoes are great for everyday wear"

or

"You shouldn't wear an everyday outfit to a wedding"

or

"Don't use the everyday dishes - it's a special occasion"

Every day means "each day."

"I go to the park every day"

or

"I have to work every day this week except Friday"

or

"Every day I feel a little better"

Everyday is a single word and is an adjective, so it's the one that is used in front of a noun to describe something as normal or commonplace. Every day is an adjective (every) plus a noun (day), and it means each day.

TIL that everyday and every day are two different words. Thanks

Hey doc, I am beginning the path to med school and am positive that I want to become a surgeon. I am still unsure of what specialty to focus on but I know that my affinity for anatomy and my strong stomach will make me and excellent cutter. I'd like to know what makes surgeons different from other med school students? I want to understand why I have such an engrossment for blood and guts.

Pls don't think of urself as a cutter. You r a doctor who also knows how to operate. and surgeons are a lot clearer in their thought process than their physician counterparts. thats often taken to be that surgeons are dumber. But i've seen a lot of brilliant surgeons and a lot of dumb physicians to know that it's not true.

What kind of surgeon is so diversified that they routinely have involvement in every organ of the body? It sounds as though you casually flit from one surgical specialty to another, much like the fictional surgeons (and physicians, for that matter) of American television.

No surgeon is that diversified. A surgical trainee, on the other hand gets posted in different specialities as a part of their training . I never claimed to be an expert in surgeries of all the organs . Merely that I had witnessed surgeries on all of them firsthand.

Pshh I've played amateur surgeon

hope you did good. The pro level is much harder though.

I can only imagine, best of luck in your future endeavors!

thanks buddy

Hi, I'm applying for medicine this year and my goal is to become a surgeon. Given the highly competitive nature selecting med students, what advice would you give me that might give me an edge in the interviews?

be honest. and be clear as to why you want to be a surgeon.

Why are India doctors such a bitch when you come to USA and deal with nurses. You doctors from India ain't shit hit

no idea. I'm still in India. edit: Maybe because in India, nursing is considered a profession that's inferior to being a doctor. Not that I agree wid it.

do you have big balls?

Why do u ask?

i just heard that most surgeons have big balls

I'll be sure to ask all my colleagues. However I don't.