A couple years ago, someone made a video about Orthopedics and Anesthesia that went viral, especially among healthcare providers. During the fall of 2010 when I was a new anesthesia resident, the video was at its peak popularity. Physicians all over the hospital were quoting it (well, it and the always-hilarious honey badger video).
I was at the hospital having a very uneventful day doing ortho cases. Young, healthy patients having simple, bread-and-butter arthroscopies. The cases were so straightforward that the orthopods didn't even have anything to say to each other. I would put each patient to sleep, then sit in my chair and do almost nothing for an hour or so. Then I'd wake them up, take them to PACU, and start all over again. Second verse same as the first. Rinse and repeat. It was a perfect recipe for boredom.
As the day wore on, I got feeling a little mischievous.
As the day wore on, I got feeling a little mischievous.
"There is a fracture," I announced from my chair.
In perfect synchrony, three voices on the other side of the drape dutifully intoned, "I need to fix it." We all had a good laugh.
With all the headbutting and interdepartmental rivalries that can happen in a hospital, it's nice to have moments like that with our colleagues. Times like that remind us that we may see the world differently, but we're all still playing for the same team.
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