I was so excited that Naudia set up a surgery for me to see, and though it was a very short procedure, I found being in the O.R. with the surgeons such an incredible experience. I have been in the O.R. once before to see open-heart surgery on an elderly patient receiving a coronary artery bypass, so I was not worried about my O.R. experience at Le Bonheur since I have gone through it before. However, at the open-heart surgery, I did not stay to see the anesthesiologist initially put the patient asleep, so it was a cool experience to get to see that part during the procedure at Le Bonheur. The anesthesiologist first places a face mask over the patient's mouth and nose, and once the patient drifts off to sleep with the gas, the IV is started. Since the patient's esophageal dilation is performed under general anesthesia, a tube is inserted to maintain the airway. Healthline describes intubation and your trachea: "Then, a flexible plastic tube is placed into your trachea, or windpipe, through your mouth or nose to help you breathe. The trachea, also known as the windpipe, is a tube that carries air to your lungs. It’s about 4 inches long and 1 inch wide. It begins just under your larynx, or voice box, and extends down behind the breastbone, or sternum. Your trachea then divides into two smaller tubes called bronchi. Each tube connects to one of your lungs." In addition to the tube being used in intubation, another medical tool called a laryngoscope, which is defined by American Heritage Dictionary as "a tubular endoscope that is inserted into the larynx through the mouth and used for observing the interior of the larynx" is used.This endoscope is equipped with a source of light and magnification in order to get a better view of the larynx or voice box.
Once I further understood the anatomy of the trachea and why intubation is required for procedures done under general anesthesia, I began researching the procedure I saw performed in the O.R. I saw an esophageal dilation, which is a procedure that allows your doctor to dilate, or stretch, a narrowed area of your esophagus. In a previous procedure many years ago, the surgeon performed an esophagectomy on this patient since the acid from the corrosive fluid she drank damaged her esophagus to point where it needed to be removed. According to Boston Medical Center, "In esophagectomy, most of your esophagus and nearby lymph nodes are removed. Your stomach is then moved up and attached to the remaining portion of your esophagus." Once this procedure was done, repeat esophageal dilations were performed to help the stricture, or narrowed esophagus, not be so narrow since this narrowing affects how and what the patient can eat. In this specific dilation, bougie dilators were used, and The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy states, "Bougie dilators come in a variety of designs, calibers, and lengths. They are used primarily in the treatment of esophageal strictures and can be purchased individually or in sets of varying calibers." The surgeon did not have a difficult time using the bougie dilators, so a balloon dilator was not needed in this case. Since the procedure went very smoothly and without complications, the surgeon decided that the patient did not need to come back for another esophageal dilation unless she was experiencing issues. Overall, this experience in the O.R. was definitely an unforgettable one.
Sources:
-http://www.healthline.com/health/endotracheal-intubation#Overview1
-http://www.asge.org/assets/0/71312/71314/ef01be27-9859-4e54-8400-5748f73427ce.pdf
-http://www.asge.org/patients/patients.aspx?id=392'
-https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=laryngoscope&submit.x=80&submit.y=25
Once I further understood the anatomy of the trachea and why intubation is required for procedures done under general anesthesia, I began researching the procedure I saw performed in the O.R. I saw an esophageal dilation, which is a procedure that allows your doctor to dilate, or stretch, a narrowed area of your esophagus. In a previous procedure many years ago, the surgeon performed an esophagectomy on this patient since the acid from the corrosive fluid she drank damaged her esophagus to point where it needed to be removed. According to Boston Medical Center, "In esophagectomy, most of your esophagus and nearby lymph nodes are removed. Your stomach is then moved up and attached to the remaining portion of your esophagus." Once this procedure was done, repeat esophageal dilations were performed to help the stricture, or narrowed esophagus, not be so narrow since this narrowing affects how and what the patient can eat. In this specific dilation, bougie dilators were used, and The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy states, "Bougie dilators come in a variety of designs, calibers, and lengths. They are used primarily in the treatment of esophageal strictures and can be purchased individually or in sets of varying calibers." The surgeon did not have a difficult time using the bougie dilators, so a balloon dilator was not needed in this case. Since the procedure went very smoothly and without complications, the surgeon decided that the patient did not need to come back for another esophageal dilation unless she was experiencing issues. Overall, this experience in the O.R. was definitely an unforgettable one.
Sources:
-http://www.healthline.com/health/endotracheal-intubation#Overview1
-http://www.asge.org/assets/0/71312/71314/ef01be27-9859-4e54-8400-5748f73427ce.pdf
-http://www.asge.org/patients/patients.aspx?id=392'
-https://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=laryngoscope&submit.x=80&submit.y=25