In becoming comfortable with any situation, knowing about the people you will be working with or having work for you is very important. The operating room is no different. When we know the members of the team better, we tend to trust them and recognize that a team that works together produces the best work. The operating room is one of those teams that works very closely together and each team member is very focused to make the operating room experience a safe and healing experience for the patient.
The leader of the team is the surgeon. He makes the call in most everything that happens in the operating room. All on the team look to him for direction in every aspect of the procedure, including when things do not go well. Surgeons are very well trained and spend a significant amount of time preparing for and reviewing every detail of the patient’s chart before proceeding. They will consult with you before the operation and answer questions, as well as review the risks and possible outcomes that go along with a particular operation.
They will have you sign a form of consent to perform the operation so that you alone are the one who submits to the procedure. A good surgeon is one who is thorough and works along well with his fellow team members including you.
Following the procedure, the surgeon will see you in the postoperative area, as well as on the hospital floor if you will be staying overnight. He will continue to make decisions about your care throughout the entire period following the procedure, including medications and their dosage, machines or other forms of care that may be needed, for example, machines that help move your joints after an orthopedic procedure or physical therapy for the weeks following a procedure. You will likely visit the surgeon for a follow up appointment not many days following a procedure and then down the line for many weeks or months in that case of more serious operations. It is important that you follow the instructions that the surgeon provides after an operation.
A caring surgeon is not just the leader of the operating room team, but knows each individual on the team well so that he can work with them to the best advantage of the patient. Most surgeons really care about their patients and want to help them feel better. They truly have your best interest at heart.