Week 6: Gabriella G

Week 6 has been, by far, my busiest week so far in summer immersion. In contrast to last week, where I spent the majority of my time making progress towards my research and summer immersion writings due to the heat dome, this week has been filled with surgical and related clinical experiences. 

On Monday, I shadowed a plastic surgeon in their clinic. This surgeon sees a combination of wound care, cosmetic, and oncology cases, which meant the patients I encountered were exceptionally varied amd primarily post-surgical. 

Something that struck me in particular, was that for many of these patients, surgery was not a choice but a necessity. They and their loved ones spoke about events that had altered their lives and weighed each potential intervention intently as to preserve their wellbeing. They approached potential surgical interventions with a deep understanding of what the risks were as some had experienced those risks. I could empathize deeply with these patients, as I too have been on the other side of these conversations as a loved one to a patient who needed surgery rather than chose it. 

From a systematic perspective, I find myself wondering what support looks like for these situations? How do healthcare providers offer holistic support for these disruptive events? 

Wednesday, I got to shadow a dentist and oral-maxillofacial surgeon during an orthognathic surgery with a chin osteotomy, in other words a procedure to correct jaw alignment by breaking and repositioning the jaw as well as realigning the chin bone. Friday I got to shadow a colorectal surgeon. I saw four cases; two regarding anal fissures and two regarding fecal incontinence. What was particularly interesting was three out of the four cases utilized a medical device. For the fecal incontinence cases, both used a device designed by Medtronic to provide "neuromodulation" to the sacral nerves. This therapy has been around for a while, since 2010 for this application, as noted by my surgeon. In contrast, one of the anal fistula cases used a brand new device by Signum Surgical to counter potential resurgence of anal fistulas at the site. I think these are great examples of the medical design cycle as these companies identified an area of issue of physicians, designed a solution, and as a result were able to better patient outcomes and quality of life. 

Looking ahead, there are still a few potential experiences I would like to have before the end of summer immersion. I will have the opportunity to observe a cardiothoracic procedure in two weeks and I have reached out to see if I can observe a neurological surgery as well. In addition, I'd love to interview a few more people before I have to head back to Ithaca. 

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