The first was more of an exam and less of an actual surgery. Its official title is an exam under anesthesia and cystoscopy with possible biopsies. The patient had a history of endometrial cancer and had been treated for it several times, the most recent time under my mentor’s care and treatment. This surgery was necessary to confirm that the woman’s treatment was successful and she is finally remission, entirely rid of her tumor. Most surgeries I observe are nearly identical in content and technique, so I am always grateful and eager to gain new operating room experiences. As the surgery was not as sterile as the others that I observe, I was permitted to look very closely at the patient, nearly seeing the surgery from the exact same perspective as my mentor as he explained the purpose and necessity for every move he made.
The second surgery dealt with content I am far more familiar with; it is a procedure I even did my Final Product on last year. The patient underwent a hysterectomy with removal of both tubes and ovaries, along with sentinel node mapping, pelvic and para-aortic lymph node dissection. While I was unable to stay for the entire procedure, my mentor texted me later that day to confirm that it went well.
Overall, the visit was incredibly worthwhile and exciting. It is extremely encouraging to go on mentor visits and feel, after every single visit, even more committed to my passion for medicine and robotic surgery.
