Perry Katsarakes / Dr. Rohit Chandwani - Week 5

 In this week of the Immersion Term, I was able to get my first experience in the OR (Operating Room) with Dr. Chandwani. After an early start at 7:45 AM, we got dressed in scrubs and proceeded to the OR where the patient was already prepared and waiting on the operating table. For the following 4 hours, I watched as Dr. Chandwani and the other doctors, nurses, etc. assisting him with the operation worked tirelessly and maintained clear focus with no signs of hesitation or exhaustion. It was quite a surprise to see how Dr. Chandwani switched from his ordinary affable, relaxed nature to a completely no-nonsense attitude the moment we entered the room. His relationship with those who work for him is typically casual and friendly, but during the operation he gave his instructions clearly and directly and expected them to be followed promptly, leaving no room for jokes or mishaps. As for the operation itself, it was an amazing sight to observe a laparoscopic surgery in person. What looked like unrecognizable lumps of flesh on the screen attached to the camera were swiftly identified and manipulated by Dr. Chandwani, who knew exactly where to find the tumor and the precise series of cuts, staples, and other actions necessary to extract it while maintaining minimal invasiveness and not causing any extraneous damage. To be frank, it certainly confirmed my suspicion that being a surgeon is not something I could do! I'm happy to remain on the engineering side and help to develop the technologies and tools being used by these amazing doctors, leaving this precise, time-sensitive, high-adrenaline, and extremely knowledge-intensive work to those who are more suited to it than I.

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