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The Surgeries I Witnessed

Decent Essays

One of the surgeries I witnessed was performed on a sixty-eight year-old male who had plaque formation in his carotid artery. The surgeon performed a right carotid endarterectomy with possible patch angioplasty. The surgeon began the operation by making an incision right above the blocked artery from the top of the clavicle to just behind the ear. During this procedure, the right carotid artery was clamped above and below the blockage site. An incision was made between the two clamps over the obstruction. A tube was temporarily placed into the two openings of the artery and the clamps were then released to maintain blood flow to the brain. Next, the plaque buildup was removed from the walls of the artery and the incision was irrigated with …show more content…

She made sure that the patient’s belongings were gathered and placed in a bag for easy access when he was finished with his surgery. She confirmed that the patient had nothing to eat or drink that morning and showered twice with specific antibacterial soap. She signed as a witness on the consent form stating that the patient voluntarily signed the form. She completed an assessment for a baseline to compare when he would be in the recovery room. In addition, the nurse determined that the preoperative checklist was completed and all prescribed medication was given before the patient proceeded back for the operation. The nurses in the intraoperative phase were more concerned for the patient’s safety during surgery. They stressed the importance of me keeping a foot away from the sterile field at all times and ensured that the patient’s limbs were secured in place. An important patient care detail that occurred was the count of items utilized during the operation. The scrub and circulating nurse counted each piece that was used and made sure that everything was accounted for. In the postoperative phase, the nurses were primarily focused on the safety and orientation of the patient. The recovery nurses assessed if the patient was able to smile symmetrically, stick out his tongue, bilaterally squeeze with his hands, and perform plantar and dorsal flexion of his feet. They evaluated the pupils to ensure they reacted to light and assessed the vital signs closing to any

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