On Monday, March 4th, I had a fascinating mentor visit in which I observed a robotic hysterectomy with removal of both tubes and ovaries (including a frozen section). The surgery was abnormal from the very beginning. Her anatomy was far from typical, as many of her organs and vessels were not where they should have been. Additionally, the mass on the ovary was incredibly cystic and burst upon being lightly touched. This was not a good indicator of things to come, as we soon realized. After removing the mass after the hysterectomy, it was immediately sent off to be analyzed in pathology.
Unfortunately, her pathology was not nearly as optimistic as many I have observed in the past. He was unable to officially diagnose the mass, but is highly certain it is malignant, confirming my mentor’s fear. More testing will be needed to determine if this is actually the case in the week to come. This will determine her treatment plan moving forward, but an official diagnosis will be necessary.
Though the surgery took a disappointing turn for the worse, it still demonstrated an important lesson to learn as a doctor. These tough conversations and diagnoses are difficult, yet extremely necessary as a surgeon. It comes with the job description, and if I thought I was not equipped to handle this, then I may as well change my career focus now. However, I believe I am more than capable to conquer setbacks such as these as a medical professional, and do what is best for my patient – the most important part.
