Booked into hospital shortly before midday on Monday, seen by consultant when I repeated my request for local anaesthetic rather than full anaesthesia, since I like to be involved in such things. He performs open surgery, not keyhole, and usually uses full anaesthesia, but he agreed though it put me last in the queue for the early evening since it would allow the anaesthetist to go home before my operation. So after an excellent meal I was able to leave the hospital for an hour and go for my usual walk and take advantage of the sunny and warm day.
Walked into theatre shortly after 6.30 pm and as the area for shaving and disinfecting was being marked I realised that the operating light, which had just been adjusted, had a tilt angle that allowed it's mirrored under surface to show the area perfectly. I mentioned this to the surgeon, Mr Stephen Ebbs, saying I wanted to watch the operation so they didn't shift the light. He fell into the spirit of this with a long incision and a large opened up area of the abdomen, giving a commentary throughout the operation, even adding extras to it and giving me an active part.
Most interesting bits were withdrawal of part of the intestine through the muscle wall defect, showing how complications like strangulation could occur, getting me to cough after putting the intestine back in to show how the cough popped it back out, and a repeat of that after a couple of retaining stitches to show they held. I had a thin layer of fat over that area and I had questioned it's worth, so agreeing, a few snips by Mr Ebbs and it was out, knocking a few grammes from my 66 kilos! After stapling in the reinforcing gauze layer, Mr Ebbs relaid the tubes heading south that had been clipped to one side, showing me how he shifted the apertures in the muscle to put them out of line with each other to add more strength to the wall. Then it was pulling back the outer layers and using soluble stitches to make a very neat join, finally capping with a transparent adhesive dressing over the whole area.
It really was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and I was astonished when the staff were surprised at me enjoying watching it. They mostly didn't like the idea of watching themselves being operated on, the reverse of what I'd have thought.
I was off the table at 7.25 pm, wheeled back to my room where I watched the pop science "Bang goes the Theory" (BBC1), enjoyed an excellent pot of tea and then got dressed again. I could have stayed longer, but felt fine and was in a taxi heading for home at 8 pm.
The source of this great treatment? I was an NHS patient referred to the private sector BMI Shirley Oaks Hospital, Croydon for the operation where there was no discrimination, I obviously got the very best that their paying patients get in every respect.
.
Walked into theatre shortly after 6.30 pm and as the area for shaving and disinfecting was being marked I realised that the operating light, which had just been adjusted, had a tilt angle that allowed it's mirrored under surface to show the area perfectly. I mentioned this to the surgeon, Mr Stephen Ebbs, saying I wanted to watch the operation so they didn't shift the light. He fell into the spirit of this with a long incision and a large opened up area of the abdomen, giving a commentary throughout the operation, even adding extras to it and giving me an active part.
Most interesting bits were withdrawal of part of the intestine through the muscle wall defect, showing how complications like strangulation could occur, getting me to cough after putting the intestine back in to show how the cough popped it back out, and a repeat of that after a couple of retaining stitches to show they held. I had a thin layer of fat over that area and I had questioned it's worth, so agreeing, a few snips by Mr Ebbs and it was out, knocking a few grammes from my 66 kilos! After stapling in the reinforcing gauze layer, Mr Ebbs relaid the tubes heading south that had been clipped to one side, showing me how he shifted the apertures in the muscle to put them out of line with each other to add more strength to the wall. Then it was pulling back the outer layers and using soluble stitches to make a very neat join, finally capping with a transparent adhesive dressing over the whole area.
It really was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and I was astonished when the staff were surprised at me enjoying watching it. They mostly didn't like the idea of watching themselves being operated on, the reverse of what I'd have thought.
I was off the table at 7.25 pm, wheeled back to my room where I watched the pop science "Bang goes the Theory" (BBC1), enjoyed an excellent pot of tea and then got dressed again. I could have stayed longer, but felt fine and was in a taxi heading for home at 8 pm.
The source of this great treatment? I was an NHS patient referred to the private sector BMI Shirley Oaks Hospital, Croydon for the operation where there was no discrimination, I obviously got the very best that their paying patients get in every respect.
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